Title: Calamity Jack

Author: Shannon Hale & Dean Hale

Illustrator:Nathan Hale

Genre: Fantasy, Fairy Tale Retelling, Graphic Novel, Young Adult

Publisher: Bloomsbury USA / Bloomsbury PLC
Publication Date: 5 Jan 2010/ 4 Jan 2010
Hardback/Paperback: 144 pages

Stand alone or series: Sequel to Rapunzel’s Revenge but can be read as a stand alone

Why did I read the book: I read Rapunzel’s Revenge earlier this year and loved it.. I was delighted when I heard that there was going to be a sequel.

How did I get the book: Last week, I opened a package from Bloomsbury PLC and there it was in its shinning glory! I let out a SQUEE!

Summary: Jack likes to think of himself as a criminal mastermind…with an unfortunate amount of bad luck. A schemer, plotter, planner, trickster, swindler…maybe even thief? One fine day Jack picks a target a little more giant than the usual, and one little bean turns into a great big building-destroying beanstalk.

With help from Rapunzel (and her trusty braids), a pixie from Jack’s past, and a man with inventions from the future, they just might out-swindle the evil giants and put his beloved city back in the hands of good people ….while catapulting themselves and readers into another fantastical adventure.

Review: A few months ago I read Rapunzel’s Revenge and loved it: loved the retelling of the fairy tale set in the Wild West in which Rapunzel saves herself and is a very strong-willed young lady. A Native-American Jack of the Beanstalk was her side-kick and eventually, her romantic interest and when I heard he would get his own story, I was delighted.

Calamity Jack is a story in two parts, past and present. The first part is a retelling of the original Jack and the Beanstalk in which our esteemed protagonist is a con artist, working together with a pixie called Pru. He is not a highly successful schemer though: he has the plans, he has the guts topull them off but he lacks the one thing that is most important: luck.

Maybe because his heart is not entirely in his cons ? Nevertheless, life is hard for Jack and his momma and he will do anything to make her life better, including plotting the greatest scheme of them all; his target: the town’s most powerful man, the giant Blunderboar and his fortress. If he can get this one coup right, he and his mother will be well-off for life. Unfortunately things go awry and not only Jack’s momma is terribly disappointed in Jack but the whole town and the Giants are after him. He has no choice but to run which is how he ends up in the West (meeting Rapunzel and the events of the previous book take place).

In the second part, Jack and Rapunzel decide go back. He now has the means to help his mother and he needs to set things right. What he didn’t expect is that the repercussions of his own scheme are much worse than he expected; couple that with the fact that the city is now under siege from the terrible Ant People and you have a Situation. Together, Jack and Rapunzel will work to free the city and Jack’s momma and eventually answer the question: is Jack a good man or a bad man?

Calamity Jack is as much fun as Rapunzel’s Revenge: full of action, gimmicks and wonderful characters. Rapunzel remains my favourite and even though the story here is not from her point of view, she is still a very important part of the story. And a cool one at that: I love how she still uses her braid, now unattached to her head, as a lasso. Even if Jack is the narrator here, Rapunzel is still the proper Heroine, the one that gets in danger to save everybody. And I just LOVED to see how he is incredibly aware of how cool, amazing, powerful she is and how he has such admiration for her – even if he feels he is not good enough for her.

And this is it really: this is Jack’s journey to become a man. He is surrounded by strong, capable women, his momma and Rapunzel; both have a strong sense of right and wrong whereas Jack navigates in a greyer area and this contrast makes him very aware of his shortcomings. He wants nothing but to be worthy of these two women and of his traditions. The conclusion of the story is very sweet and ever so right.

As for the art, I took me some getting used to it when first introduced to Nathan Hale’s illustration in Rapunzel’s Revenge. Now, that I am, I like it. The panels are very clean and bright and I loved how the difference between the wild, wild west from the previous book and the slick, steampunkish feel that the city has.

In the end, I didn’t think Calamity Jack was as brilliant as Rapunzel’s Revenge (mostly because Jack is not as a larger-than-life a character as Rapunzel is) but I still very much enjoyed it.

Notable Quotes/ Parts: Every single scene with Rapunzel. Oh my, I might have a girl-crush!

Verdict: Although Calamity Jack lacked the sheer brilliance that was Rapunzel’s Revenge, I still thought it was fun and highly recommend it.

Rating: 7 – Very Good

Reading Next: Naamah’s Kiss by Jacqueline Carey

Title: Ice

Author: Sarah Beth Durst

Genre: Fantasy, Retelling, Young Adult

Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry (US) / Simon & Schuster Children’s (UK)
Publication Date: October 2009
Hardcover: 320 pages (US)

Stand alone or series: Stand alone novel

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

Why did I read this book: Sarah Beth Durst’s new novel has been popping up all around the blogosphere, and when I learned it was a retelling of the Norwegian fairy tale “East of the Sun and West of the Moon,” my interest was instantly piqued. It seems to be one of the more popular of the lesser known fable for retellings, but I had yet to read one. So, when we receive a review copy, I was more than eager to dive in.

Summary: (from amazon.com)
When Cassie was a little girl, her grandmother told her a fairy tale about her mother, who made a deal with the Polar Bear King and was swept away to the ends of the earth. Now that Cassie is older, she knows the story was a nice way of saying her mother had died. Cassie lives with her father at an Arctic research station, is determined to become a scientist, and has no time for make-believe.
Then, on her eighteenth birthday, Cassie comes face-to-face with a polar bear who speaks to her. He tells her that her mother is alive, imprisoned at the ends of the earth. And he can bring her back — if Cassie will agree to be his bride.

That is the beginning of Cassie’s own real-life fairy tale, one that sends her on an unbelievable journey across the brutal Arctic, through the Canadian boreal forest, and on the back of the North Wind to the land east of the sun and west of the moon. Before it is over, the world she knows will be swept away, and everything she holds dear will be taken from her — until she discovers the true meaning of love and family in the magical realm of Ice.

Review:

Once upon a time, the North Wind said to the Polar Bear King, ‘Steal me a daughter, and when she grows, she will be your bride.’

With this grandmother’s bedside story begins Ice, a modern retelling of the Norwegian fairy tale “East of the Sun and West of the Moon.” On the eve of Cassie’s eighteenth birthday, she has left the Arctic research station that is her home, on the tail of one of the largest polar bears she has ever seen. As a present to herself, she has broken her father’s strict survival and research protocol, in order to tag the bear for research purposes. But just when she has him cornered, the enormous bear seems to walk into an ice wall, disappearing from sight. Dejected and disbelieving, Cass returns home and explains her actions to her father – who, instead of berating her, becomes irrationally scared, telling Cassie that he will have a helicopter come immediately to the station so that she can be taken away to live with her grandmother in the Alaskan city of Fairbanks. Cassie is bewildered – for she learns that the same fairy tale her grandmother told her every night of her childhood is actually her family story.

Cassie’s mother was the stolen daughter of the fairy tale, brought by the Polar Bear King to the North Wind to raise as a daughter, and then who would become the Polar Bear King’s wife. Once she grew into a woman, however, she fell in love with another mortal – Cassie’s father. When the Polar Bear King came to claim his bride, he made another deal with Cassie’s mother as he would not take an unwilling wife. In exchange for protecting Cassie’s mother and her human husband from the angry North Wind, the Polar Bear King would get their daughter – Cassie – as his bride. The North Wind, however, discovered his wayward daughter’s whereabouts. To protect her husband and Cassie, she begged her father to take out his rage on her alone. The North Wind blew Cassie’s mother to the ends of the earth – east of the Sun and west of the Moon, to the court of the spiteful trolls, where she has remained ever since.

And, Cassie learns, as she has turned eighteen, the Polar Bear King has come for her as payment for the bargain made by her parents.

Instead of running away with her grandmother, however, a shellshocked and still-disbelieving Cassie sneaks out of the station and into the snow, calling out for the Polar Bear King to show himself…and he does. Cassie decides to strike a deal of her own with the bear – save her mother from her imprisonment with the trolls, and Cassie will go with the bear and become his bride. It’s a bargain that Cassie has no intention of truly keeping, but when her mother is freed and she gets to know Bear in his magical icy palace, her plans change as she, inexplicably, falls in love. Things are never so simple, however, as Bear has made another bargain of his own – and Cassie must determine to what lengths she will go to in order to save her husband from a terrible fate.

Ice is a romantic fantasy novel, a retelling in the young adult fashion of Shannon Hale and Robin McKinley. Ms. Durst’s version of the familiar fable updates it with a modern twist. In conception and in terms of plot, Ice is an irresistible, fast-paced read. Ms. Durst creates a world that is both familiar and enchantingly alien, weaving a Norwegian fairy tale with Inupiaq (that is, Inuit/Eskimo) myth. The Polar Bear King, which sounds a little cheesy, is in fact a munaqsri – a guardian of spirits. I loved the concept of the munaqsri as keepers of souls, with at least one for each living species. In terms of magical world building, Ice shines. Traversing the north pole, the arctic tundra, rich green forests and the very ends of the earth, this novel also takes on the ambitious task of writing a difficult, non-traditional love story – it’s traditional in the sense that there’s marriage and children involved, but it’s rare that the heroine of a young adult novel is a wife and teen mother. The love story that unfolds between Bear and Cassie is sweet and devoted, especially in the book’s first act.

While the story is fast-paced and engaging (in fact, I finished Ice in a single sitting) and the fantasy element of different munaqsri undeniably compelling, Ice unfortunately feels a little lacking in the execution department. Everything happens so quickly – in the space of a single sentence, weeks have passed and Cassie has dramatically transformed from suspicious to a deep friendship bordering on love. There’s a lack of finesse in the writing – something extra that is missing, setting Ice beneath the caliber novel of, say, Juliet Marillier’s WIldwood Dancing or Shannon Hale’s The Goose Girl. There’s enough romance and engaging plot to make this a quick read, but Ms. Durst’s prose lacks the lyrical magic that would have brought Ice to the next level. The same applies to the characters, particularly Cassie and Bear. They are sympathetic and sweet, but lack a level of believability because of how abrupt and episodic the plot is. It boils down to the writerly cliché of showing versus telling. Ms. Durst tells readers that Cassie feels a certain way and that she and Bear fall in love, but she doesn’t show readers the actual process – which is a shame, because part of the magic of romantic books such as this one is feeling those emotions as two different characters connect over time. I also felt a disconnect between the first act of the book and the second. Ice starts off strong and Cassie begins as a capable, intelligent heroine – the first few chapters as Cassie decides to save her mother and her curiosity as she travels to Bear’s ice castle is compelling, spellbinding stuff. But, the focus soon changes as Cassie returns home, then must set out on a quest to save Bear from a terrible fate. The transition from curious, driven and somewhat skeptical young woman to lover, wife and expectant mother is a rocky one, and I couldn’t quite suspend disbelief. I felt as though the novel was working on a word count and was truncated throughout, especially by the dramatic finale.

And yet, despite these drawbacks, Ice is a compulsively readable novel and one that I certainly enjoyed. It felt a little rushed which worked to its detriment in terms of characters and believability, but the story is undeniably well-conceived and compelling. Recommended for those fairy tale enthusiasts looking for a new retelling.

Notable Quotes/Parts: From Chapter 1:

PART ONE: The Land of the Midnight Sun

One

Once upon a time, in a land far to the north, there lived a lovely maiden…

Latitude 72° 13′ 30″ N
Longitude 152° 06′ 52″ W
Altitude 3 ft.

Cassie killed the snowmobile engine.

Total silence, her favorite sound. Ice crystals spun in the Arctic air. Sparkling in the predawn light, they looked like diamond dust. Beneath her ice-encrusted face mask, she smiled. She loved this: just her, the ice, and the bear.

“Don’t move,” she whispered at the polar bear.

Cassie felt behind her and unhooked the rifle. Placid as a marble statue, the polar bear did not move. She loaded the tranquilizer dart by feel, her eyes never leaving the bear. White on white in an alcove of ice, he looked like a king on a throne. For an instant, Cassie imagined she could hear Gram’s voice, telling the story of the Polar Bear King… Gram hadn’t told that story since the day she’d left the research station, but Cassie still remembered every word of it. She used to believe it was true.

When she was little, Cassie used to stage practice rescue missions outside of Dad’s Arctic research station. She’d pile old snowmobile parts and broken generators to make the troll’s castle, and then she’d scale the castle walls and tie up the “trolls” (old clothes stuffed with pillows) with climbing ropes. Once, Dad had caught her on the station roof with skis strapped to her feet, ready to ski beyond the ends of the earth to save her mom. He’d taken away Cassie’s skis and had forbidden Gram from telling the story. Not that that had slowed Cassie at all. She’d simply begged Gram to tell the story when Dad was away, and she’d invented a new game involving a canvas sail and an unused sled. Even after she’d understood the truth—that Gram’s story was merely a pretty way to say her mother had died — she’d continued to play the games.

Now I don’t need games, she thought with a grin. She snapped the syringe into place and lifted the gun up to her shoulder. And this bear, she thought, didn’t need any kid’s bedtime story to make him magnificent. He was as perfect as a textbook illustration: cream-colored with healthy musculature and no battle scars. If her estimates were correct, he’d be the largest polar bear on record. And she was the one who had found him.

Cassie cocked the tranquilizer gun, and the polar bear turned his head to look directly at her. She held her breath and didn’t move. Wind whistled, and loose snow swirled between her and the bear. Her heart thudded in her ears so loudly that she was certain he could hear it. This was it—the end of the chase. When she’d begun this chase, the aurora borealis had been dancing in the sky. She’d tracked him in its light for three miles north of the station. Loose sea ice had jostled at the shore, but she’d driven over it and then onto the pack ice. She’d followed him all the way here, to a jumble of ice blocks that looked like a miniature mountain range. She had no idea how he’d stayed so far ahead of her during the chase. Top speed for an adult male bear clocked at thirty miles per hour, and she’d run her snowmobile at sixty. Maybe the tracks hadn’t been as fresh as they’d looked, or maybe she’d discovered some kind of superfast bear. She grinned at the ridiculousness of that idea. Regardless of the explanation, the tracks had led her here to this beautiful, majestic, perfect bear. She’d won.

A moment later, the bear looked away across the frozen sea.

“You’re mine,” she whispered as she sighted down the barrel.

And the polar bear stepped into the ice. In one fluid motion, he rose and moved backward. It looked as if he were stepping into a cloud. His hind legs vanished into whiteness, and then his torso.

Impossible.

She lowered the gun and stared. She couldn’t be seeing this. The ice wall appeared to be absorbing him. Now only his shoulders and head were visible.

Cassie shook herself. He was escaping! Never mind how. Lifting the gun, she squeezed the trigger. The recoil bashed the butt of the gun into her shoulder. Reflexively, she blinked.

And the bear was gone.

You can read the prologue and first two chapters online HERE.

Additional Thoughts: The “East of the Sun and West of the Moon” fairy tale is a popular one for retelling in young adult novels. Other retellings include Edith Pattou’s East and Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow by Jessica Day George. I have yet to read either version of the retelling, though I do have East on my TBR – I’ve heard that it’s the definitive retelling. Now that I’m more familiar with the fable, and have given Ice a read, perhaps it’s time to dust off East!

Rose has always felt out of place in her family. So when an enormous white bear mysteriously shows up and asks her to come away with him, she readily agrees. The bear takes Rose to a distant castle, where each night she is confronted with a mystery. In solving that mystery, she finds love, discovers her purpose, and realizes her travels have only just begun.

As fresh and original as only the best fantasy can be, East is a novel retelling of the classic tale “East of the Sun and West of the Moon,” told in the tradition of Robin McKinley and Gail Carson Levine.

Verdict: A solid, romantic retelling of a lesser known fairy tale that is impressive in its scope and story. Though a bit rushed and episodic, it’s still definitely worth reading for fans of romantic fantasy and fairy tale retellings. I’m eager to see what else Ms. Durst has to offer in the future!

Rating: 7 – Very Good

Reading Next: Tainted by Julie Kenner

Title: Heart’s Blood

Author: Juliet Marillier

Genre: Fantasy

Publisher: Roc (US) / Tor (UK)
Publication Date: November 2009 (US) / October 2009 (UK)
Hardcover: 416 pages (US) / 560 pages (UK)

How did I get this book: Review Copy from Publisher

Why did I read this book: It’s no secret that I love Juliet Marillier. Her Sevenwaters books are among my all time favorites – I’ve even got Ana into them. I’ve also loved her young adult novels, Wildwood Dancing and Cybele’s Secret, so when I heard about Heart’s Blood I was literally salivating.

Summary: (from Juliet Marillier.com)
A haunted forest. A cursed castle. A girl running from her past and a man who’s more than he seems to be. A tale of love, betrayal and redemption…

As time passes, Caitrin learns there is more to the broken young man and his unusual household than she realised. It may be only through her love and determination that the curse can be lifted and Anluan and his people set free…

Review:

On a cold misty evening, a fair young girl travels a lonely road. Caitrin, beloved daughter and sister, runs away from a home that has become cold and spiteful since her father’s death and her sister’s elopement. At the hands of her cruel kinsmen, Caitrin becomes a husk of who she used to be, constantly terrified and powerless under their abusive blows – both verbal and physical. So, she gathers her father’s old writing tools and flees, in hopes of finding a distant relative, or work to support herself as a fully trained scribe. After hard traveling, she ends up on a wagon that takes her as far as Whistling Tor, a secluded, mist-shrouded village that holds many secrets. Taking rest in the village inn for a night, Caitrin overhears that the local Lord has need of a scribe – someone who can read and translate Latin, and organize old documents.

Though Caitrin hears the rumors of ghosts that plague Whistling Tor and tales about the creatures that lurk in the castle’s mists, she gathers her resolve and presents herself for the job. It is then that she discovers the extent of the curse that lays upon the chieftans of the Tor, and the heavy burden that rests on the current lord’s, Anluan’s, shoulders. As the weeks pass, Caitrin comes to understand and love the Tor and its inhabitants and will lend all of her hope, determination and strength to break the enchantment.

Heart’s Blood is easily one of my most highly anticipated books of 2009 – and with such high anticipation comes a directly proportional increase in the possibility for disappointment. But, as always seems to be the case with the esteemed Ms. Marillier, I was not disappointed – Heart’s Blood is a truly gorgeous, winsome book from beginning to end, and another book on the shortlist for favorite reads this year.

One of the things I love the most about Ms. Marillier is her ability to weave magic, mythology and folklore into every sentence on the page, and this latest novel is no exception. Heart’s Blood takes place in twelfth century Ireland, on the precipice of the Norman Invasion. Though I don’t know much at all about Irish history, Ms. Marillier manages to bring this medieval setting to life with the customs, language, and even the laws of the time, painting a vibrant, luscious and wholly convincing portrait of the period. There is magic too in Heart’s Blood, as Whistling Tor falls on a century of hardship. This is a different type of magic than the meddlesome Fair Folk of Sevenwaters or the gods of Piscul Draculi, though; in Heart’s Blood, the enchantment is rooted in human sorcery, in unrest and suffering. The atmosphere is distinct, different from the previous books in Ms. Marillier’s repertoire, and I genuinely loved the variation. There is a palpable danger in Heart’s Blood, a threat of nearly overwhelming hopelessness and darkness – but balanced with the endearing characters and beauty of the overarching story, it’s a bearable darkness.

Similar to Daughter of the Forest and Wildwood Dancing, Heart’s Blood is also a retelling of a classic tale; in this case, it’s a re-imagining of Beauty and the Beast, with the disfigured and misunderstood chieftan Anluan, and the brave, fair Caitrin, determined to rescue her prince. As with her previous books based on fables (The Seven Swans, The Twelve Dancing Princesses), Ms. Marillier not only takes a familiar tale and retells it, but she reconstructs the fable in its entirety. In the exquisitely plotted Heart’s Blood, the curse that lies upon Whistling Tor has its roots in human treachery, with a power-hungry, cold-hearted chieftan who would stop at nothing to amass an army to seize power – defying even the boundaries of death. But something went wrong with the enchantment, and has since plagued his descendants. Ms. Marillier’s plotting is as deft as ever, intricately weaving old curses with new doubts, mingling Anluan’s insecurities and fears with Caitrin’s troubled past, but keeping the promise of unrelenting hope for the future of these characters.

For, what is a Juliet Marillier novel without a devastating romance?

Heart’s Blood is one of the best, with all its angst and sweetness. Caitrin is another strong addition to the ranks of Awesomest Heroines Ever (many of which are from Ms. Marillier’s books). Caitrin is hopeful, even in the darkest of hours, but she is never saccharine sweet or unrealistic. Caitrin, for all her belief in her friends at the Tor and for all her faith in Anluan as a leader stumbles when it comes to facing her own demons, but gradually is able to discover that she has strength enough for herself too. Her wit, her tenacity, her admirable bravery – these are all qualities that Caitrin has in abundance, making her a heroine worth fighting for. And then, of course, there’s Anluan, the “beast” himself. Suffering from a palsy at a young age, Anluan’s body is not strong and hale – though he can walk and speak, his right side suffers from a severely limited range of motion and partial paralysis – and his uneven features have caused the villagers in Whistling Tor and outsiders to rumor him as a monster or freak. And Anluan, having lost his mother and father at a very young age, believes that he is not a whole man, much less a deserving leader. But beneath Anluan’s fears and insecurities, he is a strong willed man with an ability to lead his people and love deeply – as he gradually comes to understand. The romance that unfolds between Caitrin and Anluan is delicious, building slowly over the course of the novel and dramatically coming to fruition just when it needs to. This is a bittersweet romance, and a powerful one. It tugs at the heart-strings, it sweeps you up into its splendor, it gives you the warm fuzzies inside and leaves you smiling like a goon by the end of the book.

In short, I loved it. I fell in love with both Caitrin and Anluan just as they stumbled into love with each other.

I haven’t even mentioned all the other wonderful, detailed characters that fill this book’s pages – the ghostly little girl with her pleas for “baby,” the camaraderie that Rioghan and Eichri give both Caitrin and Anluan, the clever and dependable Magnus…and of course, the mysterious, antagonistic Muirne. Even Whistling Tor with its castle and surrounding woods is a character in its own right – as much as the moors of Wuthering Heights or the gothic landscape of Jane Eyre played in their respective books – with its twisting corridors, mist shrouded hill, and magic mirrors.

Heart’s Blood is a true gem, another beautiful novel from Juliet Marillier. Absolutely recommended, for old and new readers alike.

Notable Quotes/Parts: From Chapter 1:

At a place where two tracks met, the carter brought his horse to a sudden halt.

‘This is where you get down,’ he said.

Dusk was falling, and mist was closing in over a landscape curiously devoid of features. Apart from low clumps of grass, all I could see nearby was an ancient marker stone whose inscription was obscured by a coat of creeping mosses. Every part of me ached with weariness. ‘This is not even a settlement!’ I protested. ‘It’s – it’s nowhere!’
‘This is as far west as your money takes you,’ the man said flatly. ‘Wasn’t that the agreement? It’s late. I won’t linger in these parts after nightfall.’

I sat frozen. He couldn’t really be going to leave me in this godforsaken spot, could he?

‘You could come on with me.’ The man’s tone had changed. ‘I’ve got a roof, supper, a comfortable bed. For a pretty little thing like you, there’s other ways of paying.’ He set a heavy hand on my shoulder, making me shrink away, my heart hammering. I scrambled down from the cart and seized my bag and writing box from the back before the fellow could drive off and leave me with nothing.

‘Sure you won’t change your mind?’ he asked, eyeing me up and down as if I were a prime cut of beef.

‘Quite sure,’ I said shakily, shocked that I had been too full of my woes to notice that look in his eye earlier, when there were other passengers on the cart. ‘What is this place? Is there a settlement close by?’

‘If you can call it that.’ He jerked his head in the general direction of the marker. ‘Don’t know if you’ll find shelter. They’ve a habit of huddling behind locked doors at night around here, and with good reason. I’m not talking about troops of armed Normans on the road, you understand, but … something else. You’d far better come home with me. I’d look after you.’

I slung my bundle over my shoulder. On the tip of my tongue was the retort he deserved: I’m not so desperate, but I was not quite brave enough to say it. Besides, with only four coppers left and the very real possibility that pursuit was close behind me, I might soon be reduced to accepting offers of this kind or starving. It had taken all my courage to run away. After three days I was finding life on the road more difficult than I’d anticipated.

I turned my back on the carter and stooped to examine the weathered stone. The inscription read Whistling Tor. An odd name. If there was a hill nearby, there was no telling where. The vapour was thickening so fast that I could hardly see an arm’s length in front of me. As I traced the moss-crusted letters, the man drove away without another word. The drum of hoof-beats and the creak of wheels diminished to nothing. I took a deep breath and ordered myself to be strong. If there was a sign, there must be a settlement and shelter.

You can read the full excerpt HERE.

Additional Thoughts: I love the international covers for this book – they’re gorgeous and atmospheric. Check out the Australian cover image below:

The US cover is also relevant to the story and pretty in its own way, but I think international wins this round.

Also, author Juliet Marillier has an essay on her website about Heart’s Blood, her inspirations and the Beauty and the Beast tale. WARNING: The post contains plot spoilers for the book, but it a wonderful read for those who have already read the book or do not mind being spoiled. You can read the essay HERE.

Rating: 9 – Damn Near Perfection

Reading Next: The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss

Giveaway Details:

We are giving away ONE copy of Heart’s Blood (with the US cover pictured above)! The contest is open to residents of the US and Canada, and will run until October 24 at 11:59 pm (PST). To enter, simply leave a comment here. Good luck!

Wildwood Dancing

Author: Juliet Marillier

Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult

Publisher: Knopf Books
Publication Date: January 2007
Hardcover: 416 pages

Stand alone or series: Can be read as a stand alone novel, but has a companion book/sequel titled Cybele’s Secret.

Why did I read this book: It’s no surprise that I love Juliet Marillier – her Heir to Sevenwaters was one of my top 10 reads of last year, and her Sevenwaters Series is among my all-time favorites (Heck, with some arm twisting I even got Ana to read Daughter of the Forest and, of course, she loved it). With our Young Adult Appreciation Month, I finally had the perfect excuse to read Juliet Marillier’s YA novels – reads which were long overdue!

Summary: (from amazon.com)
High in the Transylvanian woods, at the castle Piscul Draculi, live five daughters and their doting father. It’s an idyllic life for Jena, the second eldest, who spends her time exploring the mysterious forest with her constant companion, a most unusual frog. But best by far is the castle’s hidden portal, known only to the sisters. Every Full Moon, they alone can pass through it into the enchanted world of the Other Kingdom. There they dance through the night with the fey creatures of this magical realm.

When Cezar’s grip of power begins to tighten, at stake is everything Jena loves: her home, her family, and the Other Kingdom she has come to cherish. To save her world, Jena will be tested in ways she can’t imagine–tests of trust, strength, and true love.

Review:

The second eldest of five sisters, Jena lives a quiet but magical life in the far reaches of Transylvania, in an old, eccentric castle called Piscul Draculi. Jenna isn’t breathtakingly beautiful like her eldest sister Tatiana, nor is she a scholar like Paula, a flirtatious girl like Iulia, or sweetly innocent like her youngest sister Stela – but Jena is solid and steadfast. She is strong, adventurous, and she has her constant companion, a frog named Gogu, whom only she can understand and talk to. For as long as all five sisters have lived in Piscul Draculi, on every night of the full moon they have been able to open a secret portal to the Other Kingdom, where they dance the night away in their own Dancing Glade with the magical creatures that live there.

Everything is perfect for Jena and her sisters, until two events change the girls’ world forever. First, at their last visits to the Other Kingdom, a strange new group of dangerous creatures known as the Night People are also guests at the Dancing Glade – and one very solemn young man, named Sorrow, of their number has stolen Tatiana’s heart. Though Jena tries to warn Tati against the Night People and their viscious ways, she will not give up Sorrow. Then, the girls’ father leaves on a merchant trip, with responsibility of the castle falling to Jena since Tati is too busy mooning over her new love, making sure the day to day affairs run smoothly, and taking care of her sisters. However, Jena and her sisters soon learn that their father has taken very ill, and won’t be able to return home for some long months – if at all. As their mother died giving birth to Stela, the girls only have their father and cousins in the neighboring castle for family, and this is all cousin Cezar needs to move in on Piscul Draculi, asserting his power over his ‘feeble’ female cousins (for their own good, of course). With only the help of her loyal, closest friend Gogu, Jena must fend off Cezar’s anger and his bitter hatred of the Other Kingdom – for if she loses control of Piscul Draculi, Cezar threatens to burn the woods that contain the Other Kingdom with it.

Wildwood Dancing is another masterpiece from Juliet Marillier – I love and at the same time fear reading her books. Love, because I know instantly I will be swept away with the magic lilt of her prose and enchtanting fantasy worlds; fear, because once I’ve had a fix of Marillier, everything I read afterwards seems bland and pale in comparison. Such is Wildwood Dancing. Instantly, I fell in love with the tenacious Jena and her constant companion Gogu; I loved Piscul Draculi, the world of the Other Kingdom, the tasks and tests each character had to pass, and of course, the heady romantic magic of it all. I could connect with Jenna’s sense of responsibility, and her missteps and misunderstandings that stemmed from this sensibility – as a heroine, Jena is far from flawless, but this endears her as a character.

And then, there’s Gogu.

I should mention that I am a tad bit biased – I love frogs. Gogu is a perfect frog name, and this charming take on the Twelve Dancing Princesses and the Princess and the Frog fables is beautiful. With Gogu and Jena’s relationship, of course you know what’s coming from a mile away – but the charm of this tale isn’t in some surprising twist, but rather in the beautiful execution of the story.

And beautifully executed Wildwood Dancing is. Juliet Marillier’s prose is elegant and lovely as always. Every character in the story (with two exceptions) are vibrant and powerful – even the angry Cezar is completely relatable. Perhaps this is why I love Ms. Marillier’s characters so much – for even the villainous characters have their own reasons and are presented in a light that is if not sympathetic, at least understandable.

My only irritation with this otherwise flawless piece of literature – and yes, Wildwood Dancing is among one of the best books I have read this year, for young adults and adults alike – lies with the eldest sister, Tatiana, and her tortured love affair with Sorrow. Not that their love isn’t understandable or that I am not sympathetic to the cause of young love – but COME ON. I abhor obsessed, doomed romances. Sorry. These sort of characters that literally waste away from lovesickness, as Tati does, irritate me to no end. I have absolutely zero tolerance for this kind of nonsense. Maybe because I’m not that romantic, but Tati’s plight in the castle – while the rest of her sisters have to pick up the slack – is incredibly annoying. Of course, that is simply my opinion.

Despite this minor annoyance, I loved Wildwood Dancing, and it is one of the best books I have read in 2009. Highly, highly recommended!

Notable Quotes/Parts: I love Jena and Gogu’s exchanges so much.

I peered at him. In the candlelight he was just a green blob on the pillow. “You can stay home if you don’t want to do this, Gogu,” I said, realizing that he was as terrified as I was. “I could go by myself.” At Dark of the moon, I’d left him behind. The thought of doing that again, of braving the witch of the wood without my dearest companion by my side, made me feel sick. But it was unfair to drag him along when he was so scared.

You d-don’t want me to c-come? You would l-leave me b-behind again? His whole body drooped.

“Of course I want you, stupid! I’m petrified of going alone. I’m just trying to spare you.”

Then we will g-go together, Jena.

“You realize I’ve got no idea how to find her?”

We’ll find her.

“I hope so,” I said, sitting up to blow out the candle. “And I hope she’s prepared to help us. Good night, Gogu. Sweet dreams. Up at dawn, remember.”

This pillow is my best place, Jena.

“What?” I squinted at him in the darkness, but his eyes were already closed.

Additional Thoughts: The Twelve Dancing Princesses fable is an enchanting tale that is retold here in Wildwood Dancing, and in other YA novels. This book marks the second retelling of the fable that I’ve read this year – the other being Jessica Day George’s Princess of the Midnight Ball.

Are there any other Twelve Princesses retellings I should be reading?

Verdict: An absolutely beautiful debut YA novel that should be read by everyone. Easily one of my favorite reads of 2009.

Rating: 9 Damn Near Perfection

Reading Next: Cybele’s Secret by Juliet Marillier

Title: Daughter of the Forest

Author: Juliet Marillier

Genre: Fantasy

Stand Alone/ Series: Book 1 of 4 books set in the Sevenwaters world. It can be read as a stand- alone – the next books deal with the descendents of the protagonist.

Summary: from the author’s website - First published in 1999, Daughter of the Forest is loosely based on the traditional story of The Six Swans, which appears in Grimm’s Fairy Tales and has been re-told in many versions, including one by Hans Christian Andersen.

In Daughter of the Forest, the fairy tale story – a youngest sister must maintain complete silence while weaving shirts from nettles in order to return her swan brothers to human form – is combined with a family drama set on both sides of the Irish Sea. More than anything, this is a story about the bond of love between siblings.

Why did I read the book: Thea dared me so I had to . She has been talking about it for ages now, saying how much she loves it. Book 4, Heirs to Sevenwaters has made her top 10 of 2008. Why does this constitute a Feat of Strength? There is one event in the book that I avoid reading if I can.

Review:

There are those books that grab you by the guts, and won’t let go. The kind that you want to keep on reading until you are done whilst at the same time you don’t want it to end. Ever. The kind that you realise the moment you start reading it that this one is going to be a Good One , the kind that stays with you long after you are done. Daughter of the Forest is one such book – a historical Fantasy (with a bit of romance on the side).

Sorcha is the youngest of seven siblings, children of Colum, Lord of Sevenwaters, a stronghold deep in the forests of Celtic Ireland. Their mother died over Sorcha’s birth and their grief-ridden father has all but left them to run wild in Sevenwaters with nothing but each other’s company. As the children grew each of the brothers assume their position in the household as their mother predicted. Liam, the eldest, the chosen protector and heir; Diarmid, the next in line, the rogue and ladies man; the twins Conor and Cormack – the first a thinker, the latter a warrior; Finbar, the seer, Padriac the healer of animals. As the youngest, Sorcha who is also a healer is closer to Finbar and Padriac, but specially Finbar with whom she is able to communicate with her mind. The brothers are extremely protective of their sister and all of them love their land.

In a time way before England exists, where the peoples of the islands are split into tribes – our protagonists are Celts in Ireland and they are in constant war against Britons, Saxons, Pics, and Vikings. Their main source of conflict is against the Britons though – seen as savages, lacking decency especially after they took the Irish’s places of mystery: Little Island, Greater Island and the Needle which were the heart of the old faith. Lord Colum spends most of the year away in campaigns against the Britons and as the boys reach a certain age they start going off as well – first Liam, then Diarmid. It is after one of these campaigns that they bring a Briton hostage. A young man, whose lineage is of consequence and who is severely tortured for information. Finbar, who at this point has come into himself, as a young boy with a strong mind and strong resolution concocts a plan to aid the prisoner’s escape and he is taken to Father Brian, a catholic hermit who enlists Sorcha’s help in curing the boy. This is not only a source of grave danger for Finbar and Sorcha as discovery means punishment for treachery but also the beginning of a difficult journey for all of them. Sorcha spends time with the boy – who is gravely ill, mind and body and they start an uneasy friendship. One day, while out on the forest, Sorcha is visited by The Lady of the Forest, queen of the Fair Folk and is given a ominous message – that soon, their lives will chance and it has started with the Briton boy, whose name is Simon and that the path ahead is going to be hard.

Before Simon can fully recover, Sorcha needs to go back home for her father has returned with a new wife. Sorcha had promised to stay with him and for breaking her promise she clearly breaks his heart – he disappears leaving behind nothing but a carved piece of wood as a gift.

Upon returning home, Sorcha and her brothers immediately realise the Lady Oonagh is not what she seems and they know they are all in danger. Things start to change in their household – evil has come and their father will not listen to them. The brothers and sister decide to take matters into their hands but before anything can be done, the stepmother curses them – all of the boys are transformed into Swans and only Sorcha manages to escape. She is then met by the Lady of the Forest who tells her that her time has begun to start on her journey. There is a way to bring her brothers back and it is all down to Sorcha: she must weave six shirts out of starwort nettle, a plant that stings and hurts and throw them over her brother’s heads at the same time. But until the task is finished , she is not allowed to say a word or a sound nor tell anyone of her tale or ask for help. If she does, her brothers are lost forever. They will only become human twice every year – midsummer and midwinter and this is the only time they are allowed to come to her. She accepts the task and at this point, Sorcha is 12 years old, all alone, in hiding and with all the weight of the world in her shoulders.

This is truly where our story starts. Narrated in first person by Sorcha, all that happened to this point – 150 pages into the book – is set up. But an essential one. Because we have seen Sorcha with her brothers and got to know each and every one of them through her eyes, we are right there with her in her love and devotion to them, and it is obvious that she must do whatever it takes to bring them back. And it is hard, folks. Really, really hard. The things she must go through are not kids’ games. Her poor hands that hurt and look ragged for the hands of a 12 year old. Months, years pass: the loneliness of being all alone in the forest and the dangers she must face that sometimes are too much for Sorcha and for the reader. Things got slightly better (for a time at least) when she is found by a group of Britons, led by a man called Red who is in Ireland looking for his brother Simon who disappeared months ago. He finds the carved piece of wood and recognises his brother’s handiwork and he takes this mysteriously silent girl back to his own home until she can tell him all about his brother.

Sorcha then gets to learn that the Britons are much more than savages especially Red. He becomes her protector, and so much more. I don’t want to say any more because their story is one that needs to be read to be savoured and believe me when I say, it is one of the best romances I have read of late ,if ever. It is not always that I have this overwhelming feeling that I am reading one for the books, where my heart is racing with pure anticipation and the build-up of their love is…amazing.

I have only but touched a few points in the plot – so much happens, so much sadness it is almost too much to bear. But there is also hope. So much hope and so much love and devotion. I feel like my words fail to convey how beautiful and engrossing this book is.

This story is based on the Brother Grimm’s tale of the Six Swans but Juliet Marillier set it against the backdrop of Celtic legends and it is this magical feel that permeates Sorcha’s everyday life and therefore, the whole book. The meddling of the Fair Folk is accepted as a reality and it is clear that they have a hidden agenda when it comes to Sorcha and her brothers – and Sevenwaters.

A lyrical tale of family, love, devotion and of a courageous and resilient young girl who becomes a young woman. A book where every character counts and every page is filled with wonders. I feel that I connected with Daughter of the Forest in every possible way that a reader can connect with a book. Objectively speaking, I cannot fault the storytelling, the execution of the plot, the characters’ arcs, the heart-throbbing action or the love story. There is no shying away from strong, painful occurrences but there is no darkness for darkness sake; everything that happens is a natural progression of the story and feels organic. But with all good tales there is recompense at the end of the way even if they come with bittersweet consequences.

Subjectively feeling? I felt like I couldn’t speak myself as if any uttering from me would somehow make Sorcha suffer (a reaction I know Thea had as well). I cried and laughed and was utterly satisfied with the ending. When I was done I placed the book in my keeper shelf and immediately went on to buy other books by this author.

I wholeheartedly recommend Daughter of the Forest to readers of both Fantasy and Romance. Honestly, it doesn’t get much better than that.

Notable quotes/ Parts: an example of the magic:

“when I remember the years of our growing up, the most important thing is the tree. We went there often, the seven of us, southward through the forest above the lakeshore. When I was a baby, Liam or Diarmid would carry me on his back; once I could walk, two brothers would take my hands and hurry me along, sometimes swinging me between them with a one-two-three, as the others ran on ahead toward the lake. When we came closer, we all became quiet. The bank where the birch tree grew was a place of deep magic, and our voices were hushed as we gathered on the sward around it.” (…) “The birch tree(…) held her spirit, our mother’s having been planted by the boys on the day of her death, at her own request. Once she had told them what to do, Liam and Diarmid took their spades down to the place she had described, dug out the soft turf, and planted the seed there on the flat grassy bank above the lake. With small, grubby hands the younger ones helped level the soil and carried water. Later, when they were allowed to take me out of the house we all went there together.”

Additional Thoughts: I cannot stop thinking about this book. All I want now is to read more by Juliet Marillier. It has been such a long time since a book has touched me so. What have you been reading lately – which was the last book that made you go WOW?

Verdict: Lyrical tale of growing up, of siblings’ devotion and of the love of a man for a woman. One of the strongest female protagonists I have ever had the pleasure of reading. Highly recommended.

Rating: 10 – Perfection. I can not fault this book, and I have re-read many of its passages already.

Reading next: What a Pirate Desires by Michelle Beattie