Title: Spider’s Bite

Author: Jennifer Estep

Genre: UF

Publisher: Pocket
Publication Date: January 2010
MMP: 432 pages

Stand alone or series: First in the Elemental Assassin series

My name is Gin Blanco. They call me the Spider — the most feared assassin in the South (and a part-time cook at the Pork Pit BBQ joint.) As a Stone elemental, I can hear the whispers of the gravel beneath my feet and feel the vibrations of the soaring mountains above me, though I don’t use my powers on the job unless I absolutely have to. Call it professional pride.

After a ruthless Air elemental double-crossed me and killed my handler, I’m out for revenge. And I’ll exterminate anyone who gets in my way. I may look hot in a miniskirt, but I’m still one of the bad guys. Which is why I’m in trouble when irresistibly rugged Detective Donovan Caine agrees to help. The last thing a coldhearted killer needs when she’s battling a magic more powerful than her own is a sexy distraction … especially when he wants her dead just as much as the enemy.

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

Why did I read this book: Because of the rave reviews it has received everywhere.

Review:

“My name is Gin, and I kill people.”

Thus begins Spider’s Bite and it’s a good beginning too: from within Ash¬land Asy¬lum, where our heroine, Gin has been purposely admitted to, in order to kill her next target. For Gin, AKA the Spider, is an assassin for hire and the very best in the business. As soon as she finishes her stint at the Asylum she meets with her handler Fletcher who passes on her new assignment. When that goes awfully wrong and she is double crossed and the death of Fletcher is the outcome, Gin has no choice but to side with detective Donovan Caine in order to investigate what went wrong and why and avenge the death of the man who was like a father to her. The already tense situation is amped up by the fact that Caine has sworn to kill Gin for the murder of his partner and being on the run whilst trying to solve the mystery.

Set in the city of Ashland where corruption and crime run amok and people don’t who is ally or foe, the story is a basic murder mystery which I thought it was well executed. The greatest strength of the novel decidedly lies in its unapologetic, morally ambiguous protagonist though. She presents a great opportunity for a character study, even reminding me of Dexter, one of my favourite TV protagonists. They both had their families tragically killed when they were young, and they both kill criminals only – although Dexter is a proper sociopath – and they share the need to have a “code” to follow. For Dexter, the code is what prevents him from being engulfed by his sociopathy , for Gin, it is the line she won’t cross and what makes her a heroine of sorts and not a downright villain (and perhaps more palatable for the readers). She will not kill innocent people (nor will she kill kids or pets) but she will kill anything that moves when they come in her way of solving this mystery and very effectively so, no holds barred. Plus, she prefers not to use the magic skills she has – and this is another aspect of the book that proved to be interesting to me, although admittedly these aspects were not as fleshed out as they could have been. In this world, some people can wield magic based on four elements. Gin for example is a Stone Elemental (with some Ice in the mix) and can for example harden her body to avoid being injured or get a feel for a house or building.

Since I liked the mystery and I liked Gin for most part, I could have quite comfortably breezed through the novel except, I had major issues with the technical aspects of the writing and they ultimately marred my enjoying of the novel.

For starters, there is simply too much exposition and repetitiveness. I don’t like info dump at best of times but understand that it might be necessary for a story. However, this needs to be done really well in order not be too obvious or to not to bring down the pacing of the story. AND, it is an even more difficult task when the narrative is in first person. The first few chapters of Spider’s Bite are pure exposition – about the city, about the magic system, about Gin and her past. The main problem with this, on this occasion was that SHE was narrating her story, so she should already know everything she is telling US. It was a way too obvious way of info dumping. One particular instance is when she is about to enter an action sequence and then she looks at the scars in her hands and muses about them – why would anyone do that at that moment in time, when the scars have been there for 17 years if not for the reader’s benefit, therefore rendering the sequence completely artificial

Another problem I had was the repetitiveness. For example, every time Gin sees Donovan she will enter a state of lusting and will add a “Mmm” at the end of her thoughts:

“Despite the seriousness of the situation, I thought about those lips against mine. His heavy tongue stroking my own, then moving down my body one sweet, slow inch at a time, before plunging into the curls at the junction of my thighs. Mmm”

“But Donovan Caine smelled so good I wanted to bury my face against his neck and just breathe in his scent. Mmm”

“If the detective looked that good merely smiling, how would he look after a night of slow, sweaty sex? Mmm”

“Donovan Caine naked, water droplet sliding down his lean body, his muscles clenching and relaxing as he washes himself. Mmm.”

I counted at least another four instances of “mmm” dropping. This was very…..let’s say, distracting and completely took me off the story. Not to say that most of these occurs at crucial times in the story when Gin is obviously in danger which is one of my greatest pet peeves: the Lusting at the inappropriate of Great and Terrible Danger.

Other examples of repetition are how it was always “Gold on gray” when her eyes met Donovan’s “hazel eyes” . Or how enemies were always “Sloppy, sloppy, sloppy” .

The good news is that in a 400 page books these lines end up not amounting that much which is the reason why I was able to carry on till the end (when there is some serious pay off for my patience). I do believe this book could have been better edited – there is simply no reason for the amount of repetitions and for these examples in particular to be even there. Overall this could have been a much better book than it actually is, but I have hopes for the second novel. I did like this one enough to go back for seconds.

Notable Quotes/Parts: From the first chapter:

“My name is Gin, and I kill people.”

Nor­mally, my con­fes­sion would have elicited gasps of sur­prise. Pale faces. Ner­vous sweat. Sti­fled screams. An over­turned chair or two as peo­ple scram­bled to get away before I buried a knife in their heart—or back. A suck­ing wound was a suck­ing wound. I wasn’t picky about where I caused it.

“Hi, Gin,” four peo­ple cho­rused back to me in per­fect, dull, monot­one unison.

But not in this place. Within the walled con­fines of Ash­land Asy­lum, my con­fes­sion, true though it might be, didn’t even merit a raised eye­brow, much less shock and fright­ened awe. I was rel­a­tively nor­mal com­pared to the freaks of nature and magic who pop­u­lated the grounds. Like Jack­son, the seven-foot-tall albino giant seated to my left who drooled worse than a mas­tiff and gur­gled like a three-month-old child.

A long string of clear, glis­ten­ing spit­tle dripped out of his over­size lips, but Jack­son was too busy coo­ing non­sense to the crude daisy tat­tooed on the back of his hand to pay atten­tion. Or do some­thing sane and hygienic, like wipe his mouth. I shifted away from him so I wouldn’t come in con­tact with the ooz­ing mucus.

Dis­gust­ing. But Jack­son was typ­i­cal of the sorts of folks in the asy­lum. Asy­lum. The word always made me smile. Such a pretty name for a hellhole.

It was bad enough I’d been stuck here for almost a week. But what really set me on edge was the noise—and hav­ing to lis­ten to the build­ing around me. The screams of the damned and deranged had long ago sunk into the gran­ite walls and floors of the asy­lum, the way all emo­tions and actions do over time. Being a Stone ele­men­tal, I could feel the vibra­tions in the rock and hear the con­stant, insane chat­ter even through the indus­trial car­pet and my white, cot­ton socks.

When I’d first got­ten here, I’d tried to reach out to the stone, to use my own magic to bring it a bit of com­fort. Or at least quiet the screams so I could get some sleep at night. But it had been no use. The stones were too far gone to lis­ten or respond to my magic. Just like the poor souls who shuf­fled along on top of them.

Now, I just blocked out the damn noise—the way I did so many other things.

A woman at the head of the cir­cle of plas­tic chairs leaned for­ward. She was directly across from me, so it was easy for her light eyes to find mine. “Now, Gin, you’ve made this claim before. We’ve dis­cussed this. You only think you’re an assas­sin. You are most cer­tainly not one.”

Eve­lyn Edwards. The shrink who was sup­posed to cure all the cra­zies in this mag­i­cal nut­house. She radi­ated pro­fes­sional cool and con­fi­dence in her tight black pantsuit, ivory blouse, and kit­ten heels. Square black glasses hung on the end of her pointed nose, high­light­ing her green­ish eyes, and her sandy hair was cropped into a short, tou­sled bob. Eve­lyn was pretty enough, but a hun­gry look pinched her pasty face—a look I rec­og­nized. The hard gaze of a sly predator.

The rea­son I was here today.

You can read the rest of the excerpt here.

Additional Thoughts: If you would like to know more the inspirations behind writing the series, you can check the Inspirations and Influences post by the author posted last Friday. We are also giving away 10 signed copies of both Spider’s Bite and Web of Lies. Check it out.

Verdict: Spider’s Bite has a great (truly) tough-as-nails protagonist and a well-executed mystery but certain aspects of the writing did not appeal to me. The series has a lot of potential though, hopefully the next one will have less repetitions.

Rating: 6 – Recommended with Reservations

Reading Next: Ten Things I Love About You

Title: Brightly Woven

Author: Alexandra Bracken

Genre: YA/ Fantasy/ Romance

Publisher: Egmont USA
Publication date: March 23 2010
Hardcover: 368 pages

Stand alone or series: Stand alone (but should this be a series? HELL YES).

When Wayland North brings rain to a region that’s been dry for over ten years, he’s promised anything he’d like as a reward. He chooses the village elder’s daughter, sixteen-year-old Sydelle Mirabel, who is a skilled weaver and has an unusual knack for repairing his magical cloaks. Though Sydelle has dreamt of escaping her home, she’s hurt that her parents relinquish her so freely and finds herself awed and afraid of the slightly ragtag wizard who is unlike any of the men of magic in the tales she’s heard. Still, she is drawn to this mysterious man who is fiercely protective of her and so reluctant to share his own past.

The pair rushes toward the capital, intent to stop an imminent war, pursued by Reuel Dorwan (a dark wizard who has taken a keen interest in Sydelle) and plagued by unusually wild weather. But the sudden earthquakes and freak snowstorms may not be a coincidence. As Sydelle discovers North’s dark secret and the reason for his interest in her and learns to master her own mysterious power, it becomes increasingly clear that the fate of the kingdom rests in her fingertips. She will either be a savior, weaving together the frayed bonds between Saldorra and Auster, or the disastrous force that destroys both kingdoms forever.

Why did I read this book: 1) It looks lovely – this is a case of major cover win 2) it sounds lovely (High Fantasy! Romance!) and 3) Angie’s review made me want to read it sooner rather than later.

How did I get this book: Review copy from the publisher.

Review:

A combination of the two genres I love the most, Fantasy and Romance , the best word to describe Brightly Woven is “lovely”. From the opening sentence to the closing line (both of them mentioning the same word) , my attention was held by the stirring, enchanting prose, by a world that evoked memories of old-fashioned Fantasy novels and by a couple of captivating characters most especially that of the story’s narrator, Sydelle.

It opens with an arresting sequence in which rain falls for the first time in almost a decade in the small town where 16 year old Sydelle lives with her family. The rain was brought by a travelling Wizard, 18 year old Wayland North, who as payment for this miracle is offered anything he asks for and he asks for Sydelle. She is to leave with the wizard immediately, to become his assistant and companion as the two trek across the country to deliver a most important message to their Queen – a message that might put an end to a war brewing in the horizon between two warring nations.

The immediacy of their departure is painful to Sydelle who hardly has time to say farewell to her loved ones but the urgency of their mission is not lost to her. They start as antagonists fuelled by North’s disregard for things like, chivalry, or cleanliness and Sydelle’s angst at being taken away so suddenly (even if the dream of her life was to one day, leave and be free) but soon travelling together, working together towards a shared goal , these two become friends and more. But not before a long, long trip, many dangers including earthquakes, dragons, duels and another villainous wizard who is out to get them. And at the centre of it all lies North’s past and Sydelle’s identity – both mysteries that are unravelled to the reader and to each other as the story progresses.

Speaking of unravelling, the beauty of the book comes from the nearly flawless way in which the author weaves the different threads of the plot and of the characters. With several layers being slowly untangled and revealed to the reader, there are different sorts of weaving: small and large , from the small villages to the big cities, from the overall story arc in which the balance of their world rests on their shoulder to the very defined boundaries of the two character’s arc.

Sydelle’s for example as the protagonist and narrator is that a coming of age story. From girl to woman, from being bound by duty and love of her roots to being free and falling in love with North. The mystery surrounding her abilities and what she really is (trying very hard not to spoil) is interesting and intriguing but not as much as seeing her reactions to what is happening to her with every step she takes. This is a girl who has a very strong will and will not put up with anything that North throws at her, who is far from being a damsel in distress as I am from being Brad Pitt’s new wife (although one can hope). In fact, if there is someone in distress and in need of salvation that would be North, our anti- hero of the jour. He starts off as a drunk, dissipated fool who, although powerful as a magician seems to be a long way from being a nice man. He doesn’t even like to bathe. Seriously.

However, first impressions fall apart as Sydelle, observes and notices that behind the façade, the boy too, has a sad past (a real one for a chance) and a curse to break. Sydelle is incapable of keeping away and I am incapable of not loving the guy. Especially when after saying harsh words, he feels utterly miserable or when someone is in trouble he is the first to go to the rescue even if it means facing a dragon, even if it means feeling so much pain, he can hardly breathe after using magic. The magic that shapes him and enables him to be who he is, but which will be his doom at the same time. Sometimes fierce, many times funny (he can’t for example find his way around anywhere), North is for lack of a better word: awesome.

Their relationship is to me, the heart and soul of the book. It is via understanding and compassion that they go to each other. And it is very subtle and lovely as the two change for each other, but never, ever forgetting what was their mission and the things that mattered to them, the family and friends they loved and left behind. Two extremely loyal characters when push comes to shove.

But the romance, amazing as it is, is not all there is to Brightly Woven . In a world that worship two Goddesses Astrae and Salvala , with territories that are separated by being worshippers of Magic or War, war is brewing. Religion, politics, power struggles are perfectly balanced with the romance and in their travels, Sydelle is confronted with truths about her own faith which remains unwavering even at the worst of times. Magic battles, adventures, twists, turns, cloaks as talismans, secrets, love and loss, everything makes this book a page turner and right now, it is one of my favourite reads of the year. I closed the book with a huge smile on my face and that feeling of having read something truly lovely. Yep, still no better word for it.

Notable Quotes/ Parts:

“But How in the world did you get here before me? I only stopped a few times along the way.”
“A horse!”, he said. “I don’t know why one wasn’t part of your cunning plan.”
“If you were on a horse, how did you not beat me here?” I asked. “Or see me?”
North suddenly found his gloves to be very interesting. I didn’t miss the way his cheeks colored.
“You got lost?”, I asked. “North, it’s a straight road all the way to Provincia!”
“I might have taken one or two – or four – wrong turns trying to leave Arcadia,” he said.
“You’re hopeless!” I said with a laugh. “And besides, you shouldn’t have been riding with your injuries.”
“Yes, but how else was I going to keep up with my beautiful, beautiful darling? A wizard can only twist so far.”
I rolled my eyes

Additional Thoughts: Angie has a great interview with the author at her blog. Make sure to check it out to learn more the author (this is her debut work and I can hardly believe it) , plus there is a giveaway involved!

Verdict: An absolutely lovely debut novel with a perfect balance of High Fantasy and Romance. Definitely a winner which I highly recommend. I can’t wait to read more by Alexandra Bracken.

Rating: 8 Excellent

Reading Next: A Conspiracy of Kings by Megan Whalen Turner

Title: Hex Hall

Author: Rachel Hawkins

Genre: YA / Fantasy/ Contemporary

Three years ago, Sophie Mercer discovered that she was a witch. It’s gotten her into a few scrapes. Her non-gifted mother has been as supportive as possible, consulting Sophie’s estranged father–an elusive European warlock–only when necessary. But when Sophie attracts too much human attention for a prom-night spell gone horribly wrong, it’s her dad who decides her punishment: exile to Hex Hall, an isolated reform school for wayward Prodigium, a.k.a. witches, faeries, and shapeshifters.

By the end of her first day among fellow freak-teens, Sophie has quite a scorecard: three powerful enemies who look like supermodels, a futile crush on a gorgeous warlock, a creepy tagalong ghost, and a new roommate who happens to be the most hated person and only vampire on campus. Worse, Sophie soon learns that a mysterious predator has been attacking students, and her only friend is the number-one suspect.

As a series of blood-curdling mysteries starts to converge, Sophie prepares for the biggest threat of all: an ancient secret society determined to destroy all Prodigium, especially her.

Publisher: Hyperion Book CH (US) / Simon and Schuster Children (UK)
Publication date: March 2 2010 / April 1 2010
Hardcover: 336 pages (US) / Paperback: 336 pages

Stand alone or series: First book in a planned series

Why did I read this book: I had been waiting for this ever since I first heard about it towards the end of 2009. Then, positive reviews started to emerge in the US making me even more psyched about it.

How did I get this book: Review copy from S&S UK.

Review:

There is such a thing as “Expectations”. When one sees the two covers of Hex Hall and then reads the blurb, there is a certain alignment inside based on the promise made by the combination of the two. That promise to me, was that Hex Hall was going to be a funny, light, mindless read. I fully expected to be entertained based on these parameters and for the first chapters my expectations were fully met. But after a while, those parameters changed as Hex Hall proved to be something altogether different, a darker story than I expected and much, much better than what the cover and blurb promised it would be – needless to say I firmly believe that these do the book a disservice.

Sophie Mercer has been moving around since she can remember and she and her mother have lived in 19 different states so far. Sophie is a Witch, daughter of a human mother with an absent Warlock father whom she never met but with whom some emails have been exchanged. After trying to help a colleague with a love spell that goes wrong, Sophie is sent to Hecate Hall (AKA Hex Hall or Freak High) , a reformatory school for witches, fairies and weres. Hecate Hall is where kids who misbehave or use spells in front of humans, are sent and where they must stay until graduation.

Once there, Sophie will find out about this world she knows little about, whilst trying to get along with new friends and escape from foes (like the trio of witches who are bullies) and falling in love with the most handsome boy ever, Archer Cross. But then people start to get attacked by mysterious forces and her roommate, the only vampire in the school, is suspect numero uno.

As far as set ups go, at first, there is nothing really original about the book. It feels like it all has been done before and comparisons with J.K. Rowling’ s Harry Potter or Richelle Mead’s Vampire Academy are certainly inevitable. I mean, Sophie is the kid who doesn’t know that she comes from a powerful family and who must find out about her own history; her enemies are the usual Mean Girls bullies; her crush on Archer is telegraphed from the start; and Hecate Hall is just like Hogwarts. Right?

Wrong.

This is a much better book than its premise. For starters, Sophie is an amazing narrator: she is extremely funny, sarcastic and smart.

“Now, Sophia, would you care to tell me why you’re here by the pond instead of reporting for your next class?”
“I’m experiencing some teenage angst, Mrs. Casnoff,” I answered. “I need to, like, write in my journal or something”

She has all the right (to me), believable reactions to everything that happens to her. She gets royally pissed when she finds out that her mother is keeping things from her; she becomes friends with the vampire (who is gay and become a vampire when she fell in love with one – her story is sad and tragic and I simply loved Jenna) and she is very loyal but she is not as stupid as to just trust without questioning; similarly, when it comes to facing the Trio of Bitches (I mean, Witches) , there is room for understanding and even perhaps becoming friends with one of them; she is compassionate without being a Mary Sue and she definitely stands up to herself when the time comes.

Another thing that I absolutely LOVED about the book. The fact that the author is definitely aware that comparisons with other similar works would be drawn and she proceeds to pre-empt any possible negative connotations by making Sophie being a pool of awesome sarcasm and self-awareness. It happens with her observations about how the Hall is a shabby, horrible, ugly school, which means that the building is as far from being a Hogwarts as possible: that is only reinforced by how the teachers and students greet her; when she meets the groundskeeper, she voices what the reader is thinking: “why are you working here as like, Hagrid, or whatever?”. She also makes fun of her own feelings for Archer and how terribly unoriginal it is to have a crush for the hot guy that everybody loves but hey, totally understandable if you get my meaning.

But the book is much more than all of it. At the end of the first dinner at school, there is not a warm welcome: their greeting comes in the form of a dark, sad, horrifying video-like experience about all the types of people that hunt and kill their kind. That points to a world where they are not safe but also to the very basics of the author’s world building. The three types of beings: Weres, Witches and Fairies are called the Prodigium and are descended from the angels who stood by and watched the war between Lucifer and Heaven. The creatures do not get along well with each other or with other beings such as vampires and demons. The struggle for power and all its forms is alive and well in the world outside as it is inside the school – this reflects on how each factions reacts to each other or to the mystery at large which is the foundation to the story, the possible foundation of the Archer- Sophie relationship and which shapes what will become of Sophie . There is one question that Sophie asks Archer right at the beginning that in hindsight , seems to me to be the heart and soul of this trilogy and which possibly points out to the redemption of this one character that I loved. Cryptic much? Yes, of course, because the book cannot, should not be spoiled.

For the last 60 pages are incredible and made of a much darker matter than I could have expected and the surprising twists and turns – some of them heartbreaking – left me glued to the pages until the cliff-hanger came. That means: I will be back for seconds (and thirds). I think I know where it is all going but I can’t wait to be proved right (or wrong).

Notable Quotes/ Parts: from page 285 onwards the book is unputdownable. It starts with an awesome kiss in a cellar; and Sophie KICKS-ASS even if it breaks her heart and then there is twist after twist until the last sentence of the book which left my mouth hanging open.

Verdict: Hex Hall delivers on its promise of fun but surpasses it with unexpected darkness and twists. Sophie is a great narrator and lead and her voice lends the book its strongest aspect.

Rating: 7 – Very VERY Good (leaning towards 8 )

Reading Next: Brightly Woven by Alexandra Bracken (which I shall be reviewing later today as well!)

Title: The Magicians

Author: Lev Grossman

Genre: Fantasy

Publisher:William Heinemann Ltd (UK) / Viking (US)
Publishing Date: May 2009 / August 2009
Paperback/ Hardcover: 416 pages

Stand Alone or series: Stand alone with rumours of a sequel

Why did I read the book: I have wanted to read the book since it first came out and after so many positive reviews. A lot of reviewers mention this as one of the best of the year.

How did I get the book: Bought it.

Summary: Quentin Coldwater is brilliant but miserable. He’s a senior in high school, and a certifiable genius, but he’s still secretly obsessed with a series of fantasy novels he read as a kid, about the adventures of five children in a magical land called Fillory. Compared to that, anything in his real life just seems gray and colorless.

Everything changes when Quentin finds himself unexpectedly admitted to a very secret, very exclusive college of magic in upstate New York, where he receives a thorough and rigorous education in the practice of modern sorcery. He also discovers all the other things people learn in college: friendship, love, sex, booze, and boredom. But something is still missing. Magic doesn’t bring Quentin the happiness and adventure he thought it would.

Then, after graduation, he and his friends make a stunning discovery: Fillory is real.

Review: I have wanted to read this book for months now. We were supposed to write a joint review and I keep sending weekly emails to Thea asking “so, when can we read The Magicians” – but other reading commitments kept us from finally getting to it. With the end of the year upon us, I felt the urgency even more so I just went ahead and read it. I kind of expected The Magicians to knock my socks off and maybe even make my top 10 of 2009.

Boy, was I wrong. Delusional. The experience of reading this book turned out to be one of the strangest experiences of my reading life. From the very first pages, I felt a mix of anger and downright revulsion towards the book and its main character Quentin; I had the weirdest, most negative reaction and the only reason I kept reading till the end was so that I could have all the information necessary to write this review.

The easiest route to summarise The Magicians is perhaps to say what a lot of reviews already said: this is what Harry Potter or Narnia would be like if their characters were on drugs , or drunk or both. But I would go further: The Magicians is like every Fantasy novel if they were stripped of any warmth, sense of wonder, heroism and replacing it all with what can be interpreted as a dose of “reality”.

Basically, the plot follows the main character, a depressed (god only knows why) guy called Quentin who is a smart, handsome, 17 year old, as he learns that there is real magic in world, just like in the books he loves. Instead of going to Princeton as he was supposed to, he is invited to attend a school of magic, ‘Brakebills College for Magical Pedagogy’ and the story follows his days at the school until he graduates, then has to go back to the real world and then to Fillory, an alternate world out of children’s books.

“Real” is very much the key word here and the fundamental theme of the book: what would happen if there was magic but not a “big bad” to fight? What if there was a hidden world of wonders, of people who had these abilities? What would be the point?

Well, obviously, people would get drunk, take drugs and have sex. Duh. Because there is NOTHING else in the entire wide world that you could possibly do. Because you see, magic is HARD.

The clear attempt of taking the Fantasy and making it less fantastic by adding an element of “reality” to it, in order to tell us that hey, “life is in shades of grey people, there is no black and white” is as trite and lacking subtlety as if the author was trying to do just the opposite. In trying, too hard in my opinion, to infuse this Fantasy with bleakness and edginess, the author removes any and all chance of me, ever connecting with his characters or with the plot.

Going even further with that, I am left wondering about certain aspects of the story. For example: in order to enter the school, all these kids, are taken from their world, without a moment’s notice, to take a test, and should they pass, they get to attend this school which is hidden from the regular world. None of them even blinks when that happens. Later down the road, they get to visit Fillory, a world which up to that point they thought was fictional but they take that in stride and are ready to jump into it and live the stories they read as children.

The assumption made is that since they all like to read Fantasy novels, this new reality comes so easily to them because they are used to the idea of Fantasy – and that to me, was so freaking insulting as a Fantasy reader, I can’t even express myself coherently. It is as though, Fantasy readers can’t tell reality from fantasy and are so immersed in their escapism that well, if ever confronted with the imaginary world, turned real, not one would ever think about it for two seconds. I am left with a very sour taste in my mouth, one that comes from feeling like I was being mocked by the author. Maybe that was not his intent. Maybe he tried to criticise the genre and I am totally missing the point. Given the universal praise this book received it might well be. I do know that it didn’t work for me.

That this book has a “message” is clear to me, though. Even more so when every single aspect of the Fantasy world is unoriginal and lifted from other Fantasy novels. The school is Harry Potter’s Hogwarts; Fillory and its mythology is Narnia down to a “t”. It is as though Lev Grossman didn’t even try to come up with a Fantasy world of his own because he was more interested in a message than in storytelling. This message is more important than everything else that some things are completely glossed over: there is a student who dies in the middle of a lesson and nothing ever comes out of it. The students are at one point transformed into geese and foxes but again, very little comes from this experience; they are completely pointless and there for shocking effect, especially their time as foxes .

The bottom line is this: I absolutely HATE to read books that try this hard to tell me something. Especially when they try to tell me that life is hard. I am alive. I KNOW that. Tell me a story in shades of grey but do so in a less blatant way, please.

Regarding the characters: Taking it a step further from the questions asked above, if a young man is unhappy in his life, what would it take to make him happy? Would living his dream do it? Would discovering that the world he thought was fictional was actually real make any difference? The answer according to The Magicians is, no.

And this is essentially IT: Quentin is a depressed guy, a guy who struggles to find a place in the world, a guy who is full of resentment but who has a sense of entitlement; who is granted his heart’s desire and still, he can’t be happy. And so page after page, we read about this guy in school, with his friends, with his girlfriend whining about how miserable he is. Even when he finds out that the world of Fillory, the world from the books he loves to read is REAL and THERE for him, still he manages to make a mess out of it. Does that make him a flawed, real character? Yes, it does. Do I want to read about him? Hell, noes. He is a total tool.

Because frankly, there is nothing I hate more than to read about a privileged kid (rich, handsome, ultra smart and powerful. Hey, Marty Sue!) constantly whining about his life.

And THIS, THIS is what made me so repulsed. Quentin is my worst nightmare coming to haunt me: he is Holden Caulfield all over again. I have no sympathy for Holden as I have no sympathy for Quentin. From the moment I realised that, The Magicians had no chance with me – this review is every bit a reflection about me as a reader and what I like or don’t like. Catcher in the Rye is one of my least favourite books ever. And The Magicians reminds me a lot of it.

I feel so strongly about Quentin that I almost wished that he was actually suffering from medical depression in which case he could be treated with anti-depressants. I almost wished that everything in this book was happening inside his head. Almost, because really, I couldn’t.Care.Less .

As for the secondary characters, I only really liked Alice, Quentin’s love interest; in fact she might be my favourite character in the book. Flawed, strong, driven Alice, she is ironically, the only one to have called Quentin on his bullshit.

The rest was only there to fill pages with required stereotypes. And I have a huge problem with Elliot, one of Quentin’s friends. You see, Elliot is gay. So then, obviously, he likes to dress up really well, loves to cook and has S/M tendencies and I find that insulting as hell. Not to mention, lazy characterisation.

Having said that: the book is completely readable; I did enjoy his writing and there were turns of phrase that I did really like. And I am happy that I stuck to it and finished the book because toward the end, there is a revelation that makes the story, at least, bearable. Just. But ultimately, and rather unfortunately, The Magicians did not live up to my expectations, and that is to put it very mildly.

Notable Quotes/ Parts:

He had done it. Magic was real, and he could do it.

And now that he could, my God, there was so much of it to do. The glass marble would be Quentin’s constant companion for the rest of the semester. It was the cold, pitiless glass heart of Professor March’s approach to magical pedagoy. Every lecture, every exercise, every demonstrantion was concerned with how to manipulate and transform it using magic. For the next four months Quentin was required to carry his marble everywhere. He fingered his marble under the table at dinner. It nestled in the inside pockets of his Brakebills jacket. When he showered, he tucked it in the soap dish. He took it to bed with him, and on those rare occasions when he slept he dreamed about it.

Verdict: The good writing is not enough to make me like a book that comes with such a blatant, bleak message. The Fantasy world is unoriginal and the main character is unappealing.

Rating: 4 – Bad but not without some merit

Reading next: Going Bovine by Libba Bray

Title: Madame Xanadu – Volume 1 Disenchanted

Author: Matt Wagner
Art: Amy Reeder Hadley

Genre: Graphic Novel/ Fantasy

Publisher: Vertigo
Publishing Date: July 2009
Paperback: 240 pages

Stand Alone or series: This is a self contained collection with the first 10 issues of the new Madame Xanadu series . It can be read as a stand alone story.

Why did I read the book: Kaz Mahoney told me it was good.

How did I get the book: Borrowed from Kaz Mahoney

Summary: Legendary creator Matt Wagner (MAGE, GRENDEL, SUPERMAN/BATMAN/WONDER WOMAN: TRINITY) and rising star artist Amy Reeder Hadley, present Vertigo’s newest ongoing fantasy epic MADAM XANADU.

Centuries long and around the far reaches of the globe, her tale winds before the ageless fortuneteller, whose powers of sight can change the course of human events.

As the mysterious past of Madam Xanadu is slowly unraveled, Wagner takes us on a journey throughout her history, from a medieval kingdom beset by foul sorcery to the court of Kublai Khan. Eventually Madam Xanadu returns to Europe as mystic advisor to Marie Antoinette, and as political tensions begin to boil, the Phantom Stranger makes his return. This time he seeks to kick-start the revolution and ensures that Paris’s streets run red – a blood sacrifice that will keep certain demonic forces at bay.

Review:

Confession: I had no idea who Madame Xanadu was before reading this Graphic Novel as I am not a DC connoisseur ( I am a Marvel Girl – ha – all the way; except you know, for Batman) ; I only decided to read it for two reasons: the recommendation from Karen Mahoney and the fact that Death from The Sandman makes an appearance. I did do a bit of homework (read: Wikipedia-ed) , in order to get my bearings and learnt that she is a minor, supporting character in the DC universe who use magic Tarot Cards to predict the future and help other characters with their supernatural problems playing a role of advisor without ever directly interfering. She is immortal and has some magical powers of her own.

In this new series by Vertigo, she is given a revamp and put in a central role. This first volume covers the first 10 issues in what can be described as an Origin story; it provides more information about the character throughout the ages and you can read only this first volume, as it has a definite ending in a self-contained story.

The volume is divided into 5 stories, each set in a different era, following Madame Xanadu in critical moments of her life. Starting with her true identify as the nymph Nimue (Yep, THE sorceress Nimue), in Arthurian times, sister to Vivienne and Morgana and the person that has a major role to play in the fall of King Arthur by being the one to take Merlin out of the equation. In this retelling, she has good reasons (which portray Merlin as a *gasp* villain) for doing so but her meddling has serious consequences. In this first story, she also encounters for the first time (at least from her point of view) The Phantom Stranger, a powerful time-traveller, observer of events who will make appearances in all stories at key moments.

The other stories follow Madame Xanadu as she spends time an advisor in the court Kubla Khan (in Xanadu hence her name), during the French Revolution where she befriends the Queen and will meet –and beat – Death, in London when Jack the Ripper is doing his worst and finally in America in the early twenties and her role in the appearance of The Spectre .

It is in this last story that all becomes clear, the story comes full circle ,showing just how Matt Wagner played his hand (ha, I am full of the intended puns today) with intention and design from the start making it all connect including that A-Ha Moment I tend to love. For that, for the interesting story (or history?) , I just loved this collection.

The insight into Madame Xanadu’s past is also an examination of history, of destiny and of will as with each encounter with the Phantom Stranger raises all of these issues. His fatalistic, inflexible attitude is in direct contrast to Xanadu’s indignation and frustration with they should or should not, do. Inaction vs. Action, Observing vs. Interfering , these are very intriguing concepts that interest me as a reader, and which pulled me right into the story. I also loved their tragic relationship: starting with a lot possibility and turning into antagonism over the centuries.

With regards to the artwork – I thought it was absolutely brilliant. It definitely has a slightly Manga-inspired feel (look at her eyes!) and since I am a fan, I thought it worked quite well. The background colours, the richness of the details were stunning:

Not bad. Not bad at all!

Notable Quotes/ Parts

Ah, as a total Sandman and the Endless fangirl, I obviously LOVED the encounter between Death and Madame Xanadu.

Additional Thoughts:

This collection, following Xanadu through the ages reminded me a lot of another collection of stories: Fables and Reflections, volume 6th of The Sandman which also has Morpheus through the ages. Funny enough, there is a story set during the French Revolution as well.

Also, speaking of Manga and of an Immortal who reads Tarot to help supernatural beings, if you like this combination, I highly recommend The Tarot Café by Park Sang-Sun.

The Tarot Café is a series with 7 volumes (all already published ) that follow Pamela, the Tarot reader in question. I really liked reading it.

Verdict: All in all, I really liked this volume: I liked learning about the character, like this specific story, loved the character’s interactions with the Phantom Stranger and LOVED the artwork. Highly recommended.

Rating: 8 – Excellent

Reading Next: Deep Kiss of Winter by Kresley Cole

Title Gift of the Unmage – Worldweavers Book 1

Author: Alma Alexander

Genre: YA (Fantasy)

Publisher: Harper Teen
Publishing Date: March 2007
Hardcover: 400 Pages

How did we get this book: Ana bought her copy. Thea received a review copy from the author.

Why did we read this book: Well, on a shallow note, the main character’s name is Thea – and that’s a true rarity (Thea’s note: I’ve met maybe two other “Theas” in my lifetime, and have read maybe three characters with this name – all of whom have been side characters or villains)! But on a more serious note, we’ve heard nothing but good things about this series, and when the author generously offered us with review copies of her book, we knew it was finally time to dive into the Worldweavers series.

Summary: (from amazon.com)
“When there is a battle to be fought, it is you who can choose the place of the battlefield.” Thus says Cheveyo: mage, teacher, and the first person in Thea’s life to remain unimpressed by her lineage. From birth, great things were expected of Thea, but her magical abilities are, at most, minimal. Now, with Cheveyo, Thea has begun to weave herself a new magical identity, infused with elements of the original worlds.

Back in her everyday life, she attends the Wandless Academy, the one school on Earth for those who, like her, can’t do magic. It is at the Academy that Thea realizes she will indeed have to fight, since her enemies are hungrier and more dangerous than she thought. Fortunately, her greatest strength may be the very powerlessness she has resisted for so long…

REVIEW

First Impressions:

Thea: Gift of the Unmage is not at all what I was expecting – and I mean this in the best possible way. In a sea of young adult fantasy literature that often follows the same pattern, Alma Alexander’s first novel in the Worldweavers series is undeniably unique. It stands out. It’s different. And, I have to say, I really liked the change of pace. Much of this book is internalized, taking place in an alternate dimension as a sort of spirit journey – young Thea travels to Anasazi land, sent by her disappointed family in a last ditch effort to try and dislodge whatever block is keeping her from using her magical powers. A good majority of the book takes place in this strange Anasazi landscape, as Thea discovers exactly who she is – and this is a risky move, especially from a writing standpoint. This is not a straightforward book. In fact, all of the magic in this book is of the surreal variety – vision quests, spirit moons, weaving songs into light, animal guides, etc. And…it’s really, really cool. I loved it.

Ana I came to read this book with the burden of Great Expectations. Not only had I read several positive reviews but I was also in the middle of a reading low after reading two books (one of them a YA novel full of clichés) that I did not like and was hoping for a book to get me out of my reading funk. I thought I should mention this, from the shadow of unreasonable (and possibly unfair) expectations, before I say that I liked the book but it did not wow me. Despite the uniqueness – the book is certainly different, there is no denying it – I felt oddly detached from the story. Whilst Thea is a sympathetic character and I definitely liked the magical aspects of the story those were not enough to make this one a keeper for me. It did take me one step away from the reading low, so I guess that is a good thing.

On the Plot:
In a world where magic is commonplace, Galathea Georgiana is a Double Seventh – the seventh child born of two seventh children. This union is incredibly rare, and as such Thea’s magical powers should be immense and important, but at fourteen years old, Thea has yet to show even the slightest manifestation of magic. Every day she goes to school, and cannot complete even the simplest of spells, and it takes its toll on Thea and her family. Though her ambitious parents love her, they cannot mask their disappointment in Thea’s lack of progress. In a last-ditch effort to awaken Thea’s presumed dormant powers, her father takes a risk and sends her to a different land, a different time, entirely – using a portal, Thea is transported to a strange desert landscape, with a single, quiet man to guide her. Cheveyo, an Anasazi Indian, takes Thea into his keeping as she learns about what questions she needs to ask, how to discover herself, and how to make peace with who she is. There IS something important about Thea, and with an dangerous force amassing on the horizon, Thea must keep her new knowledge very secret.

When Thea leaves the reservation, transformed by the knowledge she now carries with her, she calmly tells her parents that she needs to be sent to the Wandless Academy – the place where the non-magical young go to learn some other skills to help them with their lives. Thea makes new friends at the academy and begins to fit in, for the first time in her life. But the battle has only begun, when a dark and ominous force threatens not only the magical folk outside the warded Academy walls, but the lives of everyone in Thea’s world.

Thea: As I’ve said above, Gift of the Unmage is a very strange, very different type of book – this applies to the plotting and writing of this book in particular. Gift of the Unmage is a surreal trip, spanning different dimensions, different worlds, and strange magics. Ms. Alexander uses some familiar tropes in the YA fantasy genre – there’s the familiar Academy setting, along with the prevalence of magic in the society she has created. And at the same time, Ms. Alexander manages to turn these tropes upside down, and puts a fresh spin on them. Thea’s Academy isn’t Hogwarts or a school for the exceptionally gifted; in fact, it’s the complete opposite, as Thea once calls it “The Last Ditch School for the Incurably Incompetent.” The magic in Thea’s world – or worlds, rather – blends the familiar Harry Potter variety of enchanted sweets and wands and wizardry with an entirely different pantheon of sorcery, with Native American spirit and animal magic. And I think this is what I loved the most about Ms. Alexander’s book – the different, coexisting variations of magic, and the notion that magic that works in one world may not in another.

Ms. Alexander’s descriptions of magic include a wise woman older than the earth, who can change into a spider, the dreaded Alphiri (what we would recognize as Elves – but with malicious, cold calculating intents), stars that take the form of human bodies, and an Elk spirit that encompasses all of his kind. There are many strange scenes in this book as Thea learns her magic, and how different magic may be in different worlds, and it’s almost impossible to relate these all in a review. Suffice to say that Ms. Alexander has an eye for the strange and different, and she manages to weave these threads into her novel with such skill that even the most surreal and impossible scenes seem perfectly natural. I’m not certain all readers, or young readers as a target audience, will like her Dali-esque descriptions…but I certainly did.

In terms of plotting, Gift of the Unmage goes against the grain as well, starting slowly and picking only very near the end of the novel. While this pacing might unnerve or annoy some readers, I didn’t mind it at all. I liked the slower, more introspective pace of the book, and there’s danger aplenty as the book finishes (though I do wish there was a little more time spent on the growing friendships between Thea and her friends at the Academy). Still, there are discoveries and darkness aplenty by the end of Gift of the Unmage, and it’s clear Thea has quite an adventure ahead of her.

Ana: It is the strangest sentiment when one is perfectly capable of seeing why a book should be good, from an objective point of view and yet being unable to connect with it. I agree with basically everything that Thea says: from the subversion of the familiar Academy setting to the inclusion of a different magic system. From the type of magic that Thea is able to perform to the surreal quality that it has. It is all very interesting and worthy of praise especially when it brings something new to the genre. But I have to admit I say that with the most dispassionate frame of mind. Because if Worldweavers was able to engage my intellect it sort of failed to engage my feelings for the most part.

I will put that down to the pacing. And this is where things get really weird, because I disagree with Thea’s assertion that there is a slower pace to this novel. I have to agree with the introspecting feeling but I actually felt that the book went too fast and things happened too soon. The pacing of Thea’s (the character) self-discovery was too fast for me. In too short a time the character went from being at the bottom scale of magic to being too important – more important even than anyone could expect. Although, in theory, I have no problem with the above per se, I do have a problem when it miraculously happens in only a few moons. I think the novel would have benefited from a slower pacing. As it stands, too much happens for a single book that takes place in a couple of months.

On the Characters:

Thea: This really is Thea’s book – as most of the novel takes place in a strange world where Thea is mostly on her own, readers get to know her thoughts and feelings intimately. This is a character that grows and changes over the course of the novel in a very big, admirable way. When I started Gift of the Unmage, I felt sympathy towards the young protagonist, but irritation as well. Initially whiny (though with good reason, considering her parents’ transparent disappointment in her) and overly inquisitive, the Thea that first joins Cheveyo in Anasazi land isn’t exactly the easiest character to like. But, gradually as we become more acquainted with Thea’s thoughts, her fears and her insecurities, she becomes an endearing character. So desperate to initially show her father that she isn’t a failure, Thea’s gradual revelation that she’s anything but useless is masterfully done, and I loved the transformation of her character as she gradually grows up. This is a heroine that I can get behind, and as she reaches out and makes new friends at the Academy, Thea became a character I could not wait to read more from.

The other main characters were well written, if not in the spotlight as much as Thea, but I enjoyed and connected with them nonetheless. I loved Cheveyo’s quiet, solemn, and wise personality – instead of losing his temper with young Thea (which could have been pretty easy), he mentors in a close-lipped way that infuriates Thea, and makes for a fun dynamic. Of course, then there’s Grandmother Spider – an ancient and yet ageless woman who helps Thea, and she is delightful with her loving attitude and wisdom. The other two standouts for me were Thea’s Aunt Zoe, with her peculiar magical abilities (contradictory sensory perceptions – i.e. she “sees” the colors of the wind, and “smells” emotions), and the trickster Corey.

My only gripe with the characters was how little time was spent at the Academy and on Thea forming friendships with her peers. We got glimpses of wonderful characters – Magpie, in particular is a favorite – but it left me wanting more. Of course, as there are two more books in the series, I’m sure these characters will be explored in further depth!

Ana I really liked Thea but unlike Thea (my Thea – this has got to be the most confusing review I have ever written) , I felt sympathy forher at the start and irritated with her as we went along. To start with, I felt for Thea. For all the pressure and expectation her family, and the world even, had for her as the Double Seventh; I could feel her frustration and her despair for not living up to it all, for not being able to do anything magical; for living in a family who was pure magic (including all her 6 older brothers). It wasn’t easy for her. There was one particular point where I was almost moved to tears and she was recalled the look in her father’s eye: a look that was part hope part frustration. All the time. So, yes, I sympathised.
What irritated me was how fast she came to the conclusion that she was nothing but useless and how comfortable she was with the new reality. I am struggling to make myself understood because I fear I would spoil too much but I just wish to make clear, that I have nothing against empowered characters per se. It is just when they go from one end of the spectrum to the other so easily that I have to stop and wonder.

I agree with Thea though when it comes to the other kids at school. I love how all of them were there because for example, they were allergic to magic (literally allergic: sneezing and everything) and I wished more time was spent developing their relationship, that was another thing that was too much too soon.

Final Thoughts, Observations and Rating:

Thea: Gift of the Unmage was a surprising, enchanting read. I loved it, and I cannot wait to read Spellspam soon!

Ana: Worldweavers has an interesting, different premise. Unfortunately the execution left me underwhelmed. Unless Thea tells me I MUST not miss them, I don’t think I will be picking up the other books in the series any time soon

Notable Quotes/ Parts: From author Alma Alexander’s website:

Cheveyo pointed to what looked like a vertical cliff rearing squarely in their path and said, “Climb.”

“Climb? That? How?” Thea gasped after a moment of stunned silence, craning her neck to where the edge of the towering mesa seemed to split the sky. “I can’t crawl up sheer rock walls like a spider!”

Cheveyo seemed to find something about that remark amusing, because there was a flash of a smile in his dark eyes. But he chose not to respond directly. Instead, he merely pointed to what seemed to be no more than a small indentation in the rock. Taking a closer look, Thea suddenly saw something she had failed to notice before. What she had thought of as a tiny hole in the rock had another just like it a little way above it. And then another.

It was a toehold. This was a ladder.

Thea looked up at the cliff face again. “Oh, my stars,” she said in a small voice.

She glanced at Cheveyo but he, other than folding his arms across his chest in a manner that suggested that he’d wait as long as necessary, merely inclined his head at her.

“Did your people make this?” she asked.

“And climbed it,” he said tranquilly, “with water gourds on their heads when it was the dry season. You carry nothing except yourself. Climb.”

Thea drew a deep breath and tucked her sandaled toe into the first indentation, feeling for the matching hand hold above her. It was lower than she thought it would be; she knew a moment of panic as her fingernails scrabbled on bare rock, but then they slipped into their niche. Thea hung her weight from her fingers, lifted her other foot, found a toehold, and inched upwards with exquisite care.

“There is a tree at the top of the mesa,” Cheveyo called out to her as she climbed. “Wait there until you are summoned.”

Thea paused, shifted her grip a little. “But how will I know who…? When is…?”

Cheveyo heaved a deep sigh. “Catori,” he said, “if there is one thing you should have learned by now it’s that your questions almost always answer themselves. Go up, find your tree, sit. Wait.” And then added, cryptically, “Kill nothing up there.”

She had had little choice. She squared her jaw, straightened her body, lifted her eyes, sought the next hand hold. She did not look down again until she was pulling herself up, breathing hard, over the edge of the mesa.

Cheveyo had gone.

You can read the full excerpt online HERE.

Rating

Thea: 7 – Very Good

Ana: 5 Meh.

Reading Next: The Hero of Ages by Brandon Sanderson