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

Sayonara, Week 3, and konichiwa to Week 4 of Smugglivus! Before we delve into the goodies we have lined up this week, we’ve got a few announcements.

A Glory-ous Giveaway:

Sarah Kuhn, author and one of the fine folks that run the geektastic Alert Nerd blog, has a short sequel to her debut novel One Con Glory out now! “My Epic Win” is available in the new edition of Grok #5: Retcon. In honor of the release, Sarah is offering a wicked cool giveaway contest – the theme is favorite comic book kiss and/or favorite comic book couple. As for me, well, I don’t think it gets any better than Bigby and Snow from Fables (and since I’m traveling right now and can’t scan The Kiss panel, I’ll just give you my favorite moment between the two of them and the cover for Fables Vol. 8: Wolves):

Guh. They make me all squishy and warm inside. SO, if you’ve got a favorite comic book couple or kiss, head on over to Alert Nerd and leave a comment (or if you prefer twitter, tweet your entry @SarahKuhn. The prize is a copy of Sarah’s excellent One Con Glory (reviewed HERE by both Ana and myself) – and, even better, if you already have read/own OCG, you can still enter for another groovy book-related prize. The contest runs until December 22 at midnight (pacific), so get over. Now.

In other cool geek news, dunno if you’ve seen it yet, but holy rusted metal! The Iron Man 2 trailer is out! Yowza!

In other news, Ana and I are famous! Well, not really. But you can catch us guest blogging over at Opinionated, Me? about our holiday reads (or our lack thereof), and at Grasping for the Wind about our favorite fantasy reads of 2009 (and most highly anticipated fantasy reads of 2010).

Ok, now down to business.

Giveaway Winners:

We’ve got two winners to announce – first up, Kate Noble.

The winner of a copy of Revealed is…..

Also, our giveaway of Raiders’ Ransom is officially closed, and we have one lucky winner to announce! Drumroll please…

Congratulations! You know the drill. Send us an email with your snail mail address (contact AT thebooksmugglers DOT com), and we’ll get your prize off to you as soon as possible. Thanks again to all that entered – and hey, remember that we still have TWO excellent giveaways still running:

The ARC Giveaway courtesy of Little, Brown (US) and Sarah Rees Brennan’s Silver Dagger Charm Giveaway (of The Demon’s Lexicon) are still up and running. You have until December 26 at 11:59 (PST) to enter – so get those comments in!

This Week on Smugglivus:

Later today, we have two guests lined up. Susan Holloway Scott (whose post should have gone up yesterday but our site was down at the scheduled time!) with her favourite reads of 2009 , followed by Erin Galloway, publicist for Berkley and NAL with a list of books coming out next year from those imprints.

Then, we bid our guest authors adieu, thankyouverymuch, and say hello to some of our very favorite book bloggers. This week, and for the remainder of Smugglivus, bloggers will be stopping in and sharing their favorite reads of 2009, and what they are looking forward to in 2010. Kicking off the week, we have the prolific Aidan Moher of A Dribble of Ink. Then, Danielle of Opinionated, Me? stops by with her best (and worst) of the year. And later in the day, Ana gives her review of Magic Under Glass by Jaclyn Dolamore.

On Tuesday, our guest bloggers are Kristen of Fantasy Cafe and Lusty Reader of Lusty Reader. Then, later in the day, Thea reviews Witch and Wizard by James Patterson and Gabrielle Charbonnet.

Wednesday, Thea gives a double review of A Rush of Wings and In the Blood by Adrian Phoenix – two of the titles in her ongoing, edgy Urban Fantasy series. AND we’ll also have Adrian Phoenix over for the day – she’ll be around to answer YOUR questions. Plus, we’ll be giving away TWO complete sets of autographed books from Adrian Phoenix, so make sure to stay tuned.

Thursday, we have guest bloggers Rhiannon Hart of Rhiannon Hart, Angie of Angieville, and Doug, the SciFi Guy over. Later, Ana reviews Calamity Jack by Shannon Hale.

On Friday, Katiebabs of Babbling About Books, and More! gives us her rundown of favorite reads. Following that, Thea reviews Kelley Meding’s debut Urban Fantasy Three Days Till Dead. Finally, what would Christmas be without a giveaway? We have a Very Special Christmas Giveaway planned (there will be many, many books up for grabs).

Saturday, we have two more guest bloggers to close out the week – Jessica of Racy Romance Reviews and KMont of Lurv ala Mode.

Phew. It’s another action packed week, so stay tuned!

~ Your Friendly Neighborhood Book Smugglers

It’s Austenmania! Today we do a little homage to the queen of Historical Romance herself, the indomitable Jane Austen. With a twist – both books we are reviewing take Jane Austen in the modern era, either in spirit (literally), or in form…

Title: Austenland

Author: Shannon Hale

Genre: Chick Lit

Publisher: Bloomsbury USA
Publishing Date: May 2007
Paperback: 208 pages

Stand alone or series: Stand alone

How did I get the book: Bought

Why did I read the book: I was in the mood for a light romance Jane Austen-style

Summary: Jane Hayes is a seemingly normal young New Yorker, but she has a secret. Her obsession with Mr. Darcy, as played by Colin Firth in the BBC adaptation of Pride and Prejudice, is ruining her love life: no real man can compare. But when a wealthy relative bequeaths her a trip to an English resort catering to Austen-crazed women, Jane’s fantasies of meeting the perfect Regency-era gentleman suddenly become realer than she ever could have imagined.

Decked out in empire-waist gowns, Jane struggles to master Regency etiquette and flirts with gardeners and gentlemen—or maybe even, she suspects, with the actors who are playing them. It’s all a game, Jane knows. And yet the longer she stays, the more her insecurities seem to fall away, and the more she wonders: Is she about to kick the Austen obsession for good, or could all her dreams actually culminate in a Mr. Darcy of her own?

Review:

It is a truth universally acknowledged that I am always in the lookout for a good book. Unfortunately Austenland was not one of them and the more I think about it, the less I like it.

Jane Hayes is a 32 year old, successful graphic designer living in New York who has a dirty secret: her obsession with Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen in all its forms but most especially with the BBC adaptation that has Colin Firth as Mr Darcy. To Jane, no one can measure up to Mr Darcy, not one of her former 13 boyfriends did, no one never will and this is why she decided not to date anymore. Why bother, right?

Then one day her rich aunt dies and leaves her an all-inclusive, paid for, holiday to an exclusive place called Austenland (the place is so exclusive, it doesn’t even have a website and it doesn’t show up when you Google it). Catering to a special clientele (to wit: rich, unhappy women), Austenland is the place where obsessive fans of all things Regency and Jane Austen-y go to live their fantasies: for three weeks, they immerse themselves in 19th century without any technology living as an unmarried young miss would live back them. Even if you happen to be a 50 year old woman, Austenland allows you to pretend to be a 20 year old looking out for the dream of being wooed by a Mr or a Lord (all the male in Austenland are actors playing a role). All visitors must agree with the terms and conditions which include confidentiality and to behave as though you are a regency miss, following all the rules of engagement. Any breech of these rules and the person is subject to be sent away, without refund.

Jane decides to take on the offer as means to say goodbye to her obsession. She will go, enjoy the three weeks and then say goodbye forever to the dream of Mr Darcy. Once there though, she gets a bit sidetracked by Martin the gardener, and by Mr Nobley, the Mr Darcy in this farce.

I am fully aware that Austenland is supposed to be a light, romantic comedy, a beach read, mindless entertainment and perhaps not be taken too seriously. But I think that this is actually a pernicious, dismissive way of looking at a genre, any genre as it excuses any number of flaws in plotting and character development. I also think that being entertained is good obviously; but “mindless” is not the same thing as “brainless” nor does it excuse lack of coherency and bad writing.

And I do think that Austenland suffers of all the above which was a major surprise to me as I know that Shannon Hale is a damn good writer. But the writing here is choppy and inconsistent. The narrative is weird, with the narrator sometimes interrupting the narrative to say things like “but Jane doesn’t want to think about it, so let’s move on” . But the main problem to me here is how Jane is so inconsistently written as to almost come across as a schizophrenic imbecile.

I don’t even know where to start with her character. Maybe with the fact that she keeps her DVDs of Pride and Prejudice hidden away because she is ashamed of them. Why would a supposedly intelligent woman do that? It is a highly acclaimed production of a well-know novel by the BBC. In the words of HBO: it is not TV, it is the BBC! Come on.

Then there is the fact that Jane has put herself on the shelf because her relationships have not worked so far. But she counts all the men she has met, dated once or twice as “boyfriends” because she is incapable of taking things lightly and flirty. Every man she meets is a potential husband and one of the first questions that occurs to her is : does he like children. She is intense and overeager. I absolutely abhor female characters that define themselves by the number of boyfriends they had – and this is exactly what Jane does. She is never her own woman – she is always in relation to someone.

Once she arrives in Austenland, the story is a rollercoaster of ups and down inside Jane’s mind: she is repulsed and attracted to the idea of Austenland. She just wants to have fun. She wants to use it as therapy. She doesn’t fit it, so she has a fling with the gardener. But she can’t have “fling” but OH MY GOD , she so can. She is changed! But no, she is the same. She will enjoy this and immerse herself and ooooooooo Captain East is attractive! She HATES Mr Nobley but wait. If Mr Darcy was like this, he must have been really obnoxious. But wait, she loves Mr Nobley.

Kill.Me.Now.

The other characters are not fleshed out enough and the attempt of being as witty as the original was a major fail. Austenland, the place, although a cool idea to start with, comes across, the more you read, as a place non-different from a brothel given as how the actors have to romance each of the ladies because this is what they are paying for. The very idea is pathetic and desperate. And I can’t, I am afraid, take it lightly and just have fun with it.

I am not sure what Shannon Hale tried to accomplish here. At points I could see the start of a criticism about the whole pretence and the place but it never lasted. Jane tries to get rid of her obsession with finding a Mr Darcy but the ending of the novel only reaffirms it.

This was definitely not the book for me. We (the book and I) did not click. To the point where I can hardly find anything positive to say and the only thing I can think of is how it was a waste of money and time. Jane Hayes is no Lizzie Bennet. In fact, I would go as far as to say that Austeland is what Pride and Prejudice would be like with Lydia as a protagonist.

Notable quotes/ Parts: I will just skip this part

Verdict: A chick lit that reinforces all the stereotypes of the genre. I would give this one a pass.

Rating: 1 – I want my money back!

Reading Next: Something good, please.

Happy Sunday y’all! Ana here, making the most out of a cloudy Sunday and preparing myself for Halloween Week and watching episodes of The Twilight Zone. Speaking of Halloween Week – what do you think of our banner made by our buddy Kmont, our Special Official Made of Awesome Designer? It rocks, right?

Halloween Week: Be Afraid. Be Very Afraid!

Around the Internets:

Meljean Brook, one of my favourite writers has now a Fan Page on Facebook where she will be posting official news.

The FTC Guidelines. If you have been around the internets this week, chances are you came across several posts about the new FTC Guidelines for blogs. You can read our official reply here but basically yes, we are complying but we are not happy about it. And we are not the only ones. Jane from Dear Author wrote two pieces about it and so did Ron Hogan one of the editors of GalleyCat. The Boston Bibliophile has an interesting FAQ for book bloggers.

Current Giveaways:

We currently have two giveaways, open till the end of October:

The Vampire’s Assistant:

The Fantasy Firsts Giveaway (Mistborn & The Eye of the World)

This Week on The Book Smugglers:

On Monday, Ana reviews the eagerly anticipated YA novel, Hush Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick (a hint, in one word: disappointing).

On Tuesday, Thea reviews the Fantasy novel, The Bell at Sealey Head by Patricia A. McKillip. We’ll also have a giveaway, so stick around.

On Wednesday, a joint review of Prospero Lost by L Jagi Lamplighter, the first book in the Prospero’s Daughter series.

On Thursday, it is a special Jane Austen-Inspired day. Thea reviews According to Jane by Marilyn Brant and Ana reviews Austenland by Shannon Hale.

On Friday, another joint: Worldweavers, Gift of the Unmage by Alma Alexander.

And finally, I leave you with this awesome video of the Black Eyed Peas in Chicago. Makes me want to get up and dance:

And that’s it from us today!

~ Your Friendly Neighborhood Book Smugglers

Title: Forest Born

Author: Shannon Hale

Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult

Publisher: Bloomsbury USA
Publication Date: September 15, 2009
Hardcover: 400 pages

Stand alone or series: Book four in the Books of Bayern series.

Why did I read this book: I recently read all three Books of Bayern (The Goose Girl, Enna Burning, and River Secrets) for our Young Adult Appreciation Month, and I loved them all. So, when Ana informed me that we received a copy of Forest Born, I was ecstatic.

Summary: (from amazon.com)
Rin is sure that something is wrong with her…something really bad. Something that is keeping her from feeling at home in the Forest homestead where she’s lived all her life. Something that is keeping her from trusting herself with anyone at all. When her brother Razo returns from the city for a visit, she accompanies him to the palace, hoping that she can find peace away from home. But war has come to Bayern again, and Rin is compelled to join the queen and her closest allies—magical girls Rin thinks of as the Fire Sisters—as they venture into the Forest toward Kel, the land where someone seems to want them all dead. Many beloved Bayern characters reappear in this story, but it is Rin’s own journey of discovering how to balance the good and the bad in herself that drives this compelling adventure.

Once again, Newbery Honor-winning author Shannon Hale brings readers to a world where great friendships, unexpected plot twists, and a little dose of magic make for incredible storytelling.

Review:

Rin is the youngest born and the only girl of her five siblings. Growing up in the forests that surround the capital city in Bayern, Rin lives a quiet life as her mother’s “shadow,” helping anyone that needs her, mirroring their behaviors and attitudes. Rin copies others because she guards a terrible secret – though Rin is a quiet and gentle seeming girl, she knows that there is something very wrong inside of her. When she was younger, she could listen to the trees in her beloved forest, feeling their gentle calm. But ever since she manipulated her niece and a local boy, the trees have turned away from her. When she opens herself to their calm, all that she can feel is cruel rot and and festering decay. Rin grows more and more distressed as time passes, and fears that she will lose her mind if she has to stay in the forest surrounded by this gnawing feeling of wrongness within her – so when Razo returns from his last trip to Tira with ambassador and girlfriend Lady Dasha, Rin decides to follow them to the royal city. When she meets Queen Isi, and discovers the collective powers that Enna, Isi and Dasha have (a group Rin nicknames as the “Fire Sisters”), she is certain that they can help her control her own growing darkness within. And when trouble threatens Bayern’s borders from an unknown foe and the Fire Sisters take off to settle matters, Rin goes with them. Little does she know that her own untapped talents will help save Bayern from the clutches of a terrifying, formidable enemy.

I have only just discovered Shannon Hale this year, and I’ve loved every book I have read by her thus far – from Rapunzel’s Revenge to the beloved Books of Bayern. Though The Goose Girl remains my favorite of the latter series, Forest Born gives it a run for its money – I absolutely loved this latest installment.

Forest Born stands apart from the other Bayern Books by introducing a new character in Rin, Razo (star of River Secrets and regular face in the series)’s little sister. Unlike the other main characters in this series to date, Rin is truly, deeply troubled. In ways that the lighthearted Razo or brashly confident Enna don’t really tackle in their books, Rin is a heroine more similar to Isi in The Goose Girl – both characters are uncertain of themselves initially and learn to accept their own inner strength. Similarly, Rin has to come to terms with her own mysterious abilities in a way different to the prior books. While Enna struggled with her Fire speaking, Isi with her wind speaking, and Dasha with her water speaking, Rin’s struggles seem to dwarf the others as infinitely more severe. Unlike these other characters, Rin’s problems are rooted deeply in her own sense of worth (or lack thereof). If Enna Burning could be interpreted as a metaphor for addiction to power, Forest Born is one of coming to terms with depression. While it’s true that to some extent the other characters staved off becoming overwhelmed by their powers, Rin’s lifelong inner battle to not only release her sense of self-loathing, but also discover who exactly she is as a person – as opposed to mimicking those around her – is something far more intense than anything Isi, Enna or Dasha experienced combined (and no less life-threatening than the events of Enna Burning). Of all the characters, Rin’s burden is the heaviest and darkest and this translates in the story.

As such, Forest Born is also far more bleak than the other novels in the Bayern series. This may turn off some readers – in fact, when I was about half through the book, even after finishing it, I wasn’t sure how to feel. Rin is much more vulnerable than her predecessors, and as a heroine she comes to terms with some very shocking, soul-crushing revelations about herself. But the more I think about Rin and her journey in Forest Secrets, the more I love her and her fantastic novel. The plotting, per Ms. Hale’s usual, is near flawless in its pacing and scope – from the forests of Bayern, Ms. Hale takes readers to the far reaches of Kel, examining a new people and culture previously unseen in earlier books. As with the dramatic colored tunics and heat of Tira, the strange folks of Yasid, the darker complexioned inhabitants of Bayern compared to the fair-haired children of Kildenree, Ms. Hale’s realm of Kel creates a new language and background of people. And, as always, Forest Born is written with Ms. Hale’s graceful, breathtaking words:

Rin learned to crawl on moss and walk on pine needles, and by the age of four could climb a fir as easily as fall into bed. That was thanks to Razo, who never had worked up a reason to push his little sister. When Rin was not clinging to her ma, she was running after her brother. She talked some and laughed some, but mostly she watched–the faces of her brothers, the sway of the trees. She watched the world the way most people breathed air.

“That girl sees the bones inside birds,” her ma would say. “That girl can see your soul.”

In a departure from the norm so far in the series, I should also mention that Forest Born also does not feature a romance plot between Rin and some male character – which again may turn off some readers who have come to expect the pairings in the Bayern Books, but I think this works to the book’s favor. Rin hardly knows who she herself is and the focus of the book is her coming to grips with herself and her powers, and to throw in a love story would be unrealistic. Finally, I should say that Forest Born features a truly wonderful, evil villain – the likes of which have not been seen since the ghastly Selia of The Goose Girl. Not only does Rin have to come to terms with her inner darkness, she must combat a rival’s in a way that only she can. It’s infuriating and marvelous and breathtaking all at once.

Ms. Hale writes a very different, dark, but ultimately heartwarming novel with Forest Born, and I truly loved it. My second favorite of the Bayern Books, short only to The Goose Girl.

Notable Quotes/Parts: From Chapter 1:

Ma had six sons. The eldest boy was big like his father, the middle boys were middling. By the time Razo was born, all the family’s largeness must have been used up. The brothers called him runt and made him feel that word. He spent winter nights longing for a younger sibling, someone he could call runt, someone he could push and pinch.

Ma was longing too, but for a girl to share thoughts with, a daughter cut and sewn from her own soul.

When Razo was almost five, he and Ma both got their wish. The baby girl was born on a night so hot the wind panted and the summer moon blazed like the sun.

“Rinna,” Ma named her.

“A girl,” said the father.

“Rinna-girl,” said Razo, peering over the side of the cot.

The baby blinked huge, dark eyes and opened her mouth into a tiny circle. All desire to push and pinch hushed right out of Razo.

He bent closer to her ear and whispered, “I’m going to teach you to climb trees.”

Ma did not allow her baby girl into any timber, though Razo, with a trembling kind of impatience, looked her over each day to gauge if she’d grown big enough. The dark-haired baby cried if Ma put her down, so Ma did not put her down. She did chores with her daughter strapped to her side.

One spring morning when Rinna was two, her father went hunting in the deep Forest. Three days later, Ma sent her older boys to look for him. They found his pack and some bear prints, a reminder not to wander far.

That night in the one-room house built of pine, the brothers stared stiff-eyed at the darkness, the unfamiliar sound of their mother’s sobs spooking them to wakeful silence. No one moved, except Rinna.

“Ma,” she said. “Ma sad.”

She crawled off her mat at the foot of her parents’ cot and lay down by Ma, fitting into the curve of her body.

“My peaceful girl,” Ma whispered. “My tender Rin.” She kissed the top of her daughter’s head and sighed before falling asleep.

Rin sighed too. She slept with her nose touching her mother’s shirt, her dreams laced with the scent of the juniper berries Ma loved to chew.

You can read the full excerpt online at Shannon Hale’s website HERE.

Additional Thoughts: While readers will appreciate Forest Born infinitely more if they read the books in order first, this can be read as a standalone, or as a starting point.

As always, Ms. Hale includes a lot of great information on her website page for Forest Born, including deleted scenes and a “lost chapter”.

But you know what else is pretty cool? Ms. Hale includes a character exercise in which she assigns her Bayern characters corresponding Justice League personas, with Rin as the Martian Manhunter. Vulnerability to fire and all. It’s not really a perfect list (Enna’s not nearly as fair minded as Wonder Woman, but that’s ok. I like Isi as Superman though, gender aside!), but fun nonetheless.

Verdict: I loved Forest Born from its lyrical beginning to its powerful end. This heroine’s path of realization and self-acceptance is a beautiful journey to be savored by readers of all ages. Absolutely recommended.

Rating: 8 Excellent

Reading Next: Murder Mysteries by Neil Gaiman

Hello there! Are we ready for another stash? Here we go!

Oh, oopsie. How did this happen? (And how could we forget Dean in our Bad Boy Weekend Poll yesterday??? Jaysus. Bad Smugglers, Bad Smugglers ).

Ok, ok, let’s get to work!

This Week On The Book Smugglers:

On Monday, we have a joint review of a new YA book: Give Up The Ghost by Megan Crewe.

On Tuesday, Thea reviews Forest Born by Shannon Hale, the fourth book in the Books of Bayern series…

On Wednesday we will have a mini Neil Gaiman special! Woohoo! We have been shortlisted for Best Graphic Novel for the BBAW so we decided to celebrate with a joint review of Murder Mysteries, a graphic novel we both have on our TBRs since like, forever. Also, on Wednesday, we will be giving away two copies of The Graveyard Book one of our favourite reads of 2008, in celebration of the upcoming release of the paperback edition. Stay tuned!

On Thursday, Thea reviews Cape Storm by Rachel Caine, book 8 in the Weather Warden series.

On Friday Ana reviews another upcoming YA book: Liar by Justine Larbalestier

Finally, on Saturday, it’s the Return of THE DARE! It’s been a while since we dared each other to read anything so we decided: no more. We are not going to chicken out! So, Ana gets to read The Drawing of the Three , book 2 in the Dark Tower series by Stephen King,Thea’s all-time favourite series; and Thea has to read Perfume by Patrick Suskind – one of Ana’s favourites. Bring.It.On.

Plus, throughout the week, we will be doing short posts (and some giveaways) connected to the Book Blogger Appreciation Week, as per the suggested daily blogging topics. Check them out and take part: we are all invited to the party!

Other news:

Our Catching Fire giveaway is still open! It runs till September 15th and it’s open to residents of Canada and US only – go here to enter and good luck!

Mary Pearson, author of The Adoration of Jenna Fox,a book that Thea read and loved (reviewed here) wrote an absolutely fantastic article for the Tor.com blog on Young Adult novels addressing questions such as: YA: Who writes it? Why do they write it? Who should read it? Who shouldn’t? What are the author’s responsibilities? What should their responsibilities be? What is YA lit? What is it not? Is it “safe” literature, and she basically voiced everything we think about the genre. Here is an excerpt:

“Recently I’ve heard some discussion about the “responsibility” of YA books and YA authors. Oh, I hate that word when it comes to books. I’ve heard complaints at both ends of the spectrum, far left and far right, wanting books to “guide” readers one way or the other. Their way, I imagine. Or not include sex or language or whatever, and sometimes the whatever is pretty ridiculous, under the guise that we must “protect” young minds. I have to say, I have seen just as much harm come to children who are over-protected as those who are not paid any mind at all. I have seen parents who sequester their children away from the world in order to protect them, but hey, the world is there, and one day the kid will be out in it. Do they really want to spring it on them cold turkey? Often the results aren’t pretty. Or wouldn’t they rather have their child test the waters while they are still under their wings and can come to them with questions?”

The article is here – make sure to read it because it is pretty damn good.

Also, we stumbled across these awesome Steampunk-ified Star Wars figurines from Sillof’s Workshop (via Aidan at A Dribble of Ink) and were immediately smitten. (Thea: I love Leia’s dress and Artoo’s awesome new look! And Vader’s lightsaber! And BOBA FETT’S HELMET! EEEE! I want them all.) Click to enlarge all images.

And look at how awesome Wedge Antilles looks! And Ewoks get NASTY!

This guy’s work is pretty awesome. Check out his Star Wars circa 1942 figurines too, or his Victorian Avengers while you’re at it!

On our Radar:

Contemporary Romance: (no one does it better than Julie James – BEST repartee in the style of old screwball comedies)

Of all the hotel rooms rented by all the adulterous politicians in Chicago, female Assistant U.S. Attorney Cameron Lynde had to choose the one next to 1308, where some hot-and-heavy lovemaking ends in bloodshed. And of all the FBI agents in Illinois, it had to be Special Agent Jack Pallas who gets assigned to this high-profile homicide. The same Jack Pallas who still blames Cameron for a botched crackdown three years ago—and nearly ruining his career…

Work with Cameron Lynde? Are they kidding? Maybe, Jack thinks, this is some kind of welcome-back prank after his stint away from Chicago. But it’s no joke: the pair is going to have to put their rocky past behind them and focus on the case at hand. That is, if they can cut back on the razor-sharp jibes—and smother the flame of their sizzling-hot sexual tension…

YA: Cinderella retold

In the wake of her father’s death, Ash is left at the mercy of her cruel stepmother. Consumed with grief, her only joy comes by the light of the dying hearth fire, rereading the fairy tales her mother once told her. In her dreams, someday the fairies will steal her away, as they are said to do. When she meets the dark and dangerous fairy Sidhean, she believes that her wish may be granted.

The day that Ash meets Kaisa, the King’s Huntress, her heart begins to change. Instead of chasing fairies, Ash learns to hunt with Kaisa. Though their friendship is as delicate as a new bloom, it reawakens Ash’s capacity for love-and her desire to live. But Sidhean has already claimed Ash for his own, and she must make a choice between fairy tale dreams and true love.

Entrancing, empowering, and romantic, Ash is about the connection between life and love, and solitude and death, where transformation can come from even the deepest grief.

YA: contemporary

At Fairfield High, everyone knows that south siders and north siders aren’t exactly compatible elements. So when cheerleader Brittany Ellis and gang member Alex Fuentes are forced to be lab partners, the results are bound to be explosive.

Neither teen is prepared for the most surprising chemical reaction of all – love. Can they break through the stereotypes and misconceptions that threaten to keep them apart?

YA: contemporary

For months, Cass Meyer has heard her best friend Julia, a wannabe Broadway composer, whispering about a top-secret project. Then Julia is killed in a sudden car accident, and while Cass is still reeling from her death, Julia’s boyfriend and her other drama friends make it their mission to bring to fruition the nearly-completed secret project: a musical about an orphaned ninja princess entitled Totally Sweet Ninja Death Squad.

Cass isn’t one of the drama people. She doesn’t feel at home with Julia’s drama friends, and she doesn’t see a place for her in the play. Things only get worse when she finds out that Heather Galloway, the girl who made her miserable all through middle school, has been cast as the ninja princess.

Cass can’t take a summer of swallowing her pride and painting sets, so she decides to follow her original plan for a cross-country road trip with Julia. Even if she has a touring bicycle instead of a driver’s license, and even if Julia’s ashes are coming along in Tupperware.

A Love Story Starring My Dead Best Friend is a story about friendship. About love. About traveling a thousand miles just to find yourself. About making peace with the past, and making sense of it. And it’s a story about the bloodiest high school musical one quiet suburb has ever seen.

Fantasy

Once, all power in the Vin Lands was held by the prince-mages, who alone could craft spellwines, and selfishly used them to increase their own wealth and influence. But their abuse of power caused a demigod to break the Vine, shattering the power of the mages. Now, fourteen centuries later, it is the humble Vinearts who hold the secret of crafting spells from wines, the source of magic, and they are prohibited from holding power.

But now rumors come of a new darkness rising in the vineyards. Strange, terrifying creatures, sudden plagues, and mysterious disappearances threaten the land. Only one Vineart senses the danger, and he has only one weapon to use against it: a young slave. His name is Jerzy, and his origins are unknown, even to him. Yet his uncanny sense of the Vinearts’ craft offers a hint of greater magics within — magics that his Master, the Vineart Malech, must cultivate and grow. But time is running out. If Malech cannot teach his new apprentice the secrets of the spellwines, and if Jerzy cannot master his own untapped powers, the Vin Lands shall surely be destroyed.

In Flesh and Fire, first in a spellbinding new trilogy, Laura Anne Gilman conjures a story as powerful as magic itself, as intoxicating as the finest of wines, and as timeless as the greatest legends ever told.

Fantasy

With their forces gathered, the revolutionary leaders within Lescar begin their bid to win the minds and hearts of the people, as well as the lands of the rival dukedoms.

Fantasy

Hoping for a better life, five war veterans colonize an abandoned island. They take with them everything they could possibly need – food, clothes, tools, weapons, even wives.

But an unanticipated discovery shatters their dream and replaces it with a very different one. The colonists feel sure that their friendship will keep them together. Only then do they begin to realize that they’ve brought with them rather more than they bargained for.

For one of them, it seems, has been hiding a terrible secret from the rest of the company. And when the truth begins to emerge, it soon becomes clear that the war is far from over.

With masterful storytelling, irresistible wit, and extraordinary insight into human nature, K.J. Parker is widely acknowledged as one of the most original and exciting fantasy writers of modern times. THE COMPANY, K.J. Parker’s first stand-alone novel, is a tour de force from an author who is changing the face of the fantasy genre.

And that’s it from us today, have a great week!
~ Your Friendly Neigborhood Book Smugglers

Title: Rapunzel’s Revenge

Author: Shannon Hale & Dean Hale

Illustrator: Nathan Hale

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

Publisher: Bloomsbury USA
Publication Date: August 2008
Hardcover: 144 pages

Stand alone or series: Stand alone graphic novel.

Why did we read this book: How could we close out YA Appreciation Month without covering at least one graphic novel? Since Thea loved Shannon Hale’s Bayern series, and because of the awesome concept for this book, we eagerly agreed to do a joint review of this reimagining of Rapunzel. (I mean come on! It’s Rapunzel choosing not to wait for rescue and going out for revenge on her own. In the Wild West. With her hair as a lasso/whip. AWESOME.)

Summary: (from amazon.com)
Once upon a time, in a land you only think you know, lived a little girl and her mother . . . or the woman she thought was her mother.

Every day, when the little girl played in her pretty garden, she grew more curious about what lay on the other side of the garden wall . . . a rather enormous garden wall.

And every year, as she grew older, things seemed weirder and weirder, until the day she finally climbed to the top of the wall and looked over into the mines and desert beyond.

Newbery Honor-winning author Shannon Hale teams up with husband Dean Hale and brilliant artist Nathan Hale (no relation) to bring readers a swashbuckling and hilarious twist on the classic story as you’ve never seen it before. Watch as Rapunzel and her amazing hair team up with Jack (of beanstalk fame) to gallop around the wild and western landscape, changing lives, righting wrongs, and bringing joy to every soul they encounter.

REVIEW:

First Impressions:

Thea: Rapunzel’s Revenge is a little different from the few comics I usually read – certainly a far cry from Bill Willingham’s Fables series! – but in a very sweet, refreshing way. I loved this young adult fairy tale reimagining from first glance. This take on Rapunzel has the original Brothers Grimm background, but it dramatically transforms Rapunzel from a passive princess into the heroine of her own destiny, eager to thwart her so-called Mother, (the Evil Witch who stole Rapunzel when she was just a child) and to save her real mother from hard labor in the mines. Throw in a vagabond companion named Jack – yes, THAT Jack – bandits, gunslingers, angry and oppressed ranchers and dwarfs, and you get the wonder that is Rapunzel’s Revenge. I loved it.

Ana: I never read any of Shannon Hale’s books before and now I ask myself why, WHY, WHY?! After reading the first 30 pages of Rapunzel’s Revenge I knew two things: 1) that I loved this version of Rapunzel with the force of a thousand thunderstorms and 2) that I would be glomming Mrs Hale’s backlist pronto. Because this reimagining is imaginative, creative, funny and ever so empowering for girls – Damsel in Distress, saved by her hero?? Hell noes.

On the Plot:

Rapunzel’s Revenge takes the basic Grimm collected fairy tale as its base: a farmer couple finally gets pregnant after years of trying, much to their delight. But the wife develops an insatiable urge for rapunzel, a type of lettuce, planted in the garden of the couple’s witch neighbor. Her yearning for the rapunzel grows so strong that she know she will die without it, so her husband has no choice but to scale the wall surrounding the witch’s garden and steal some of the lettuce. On the third night of his endeavors, however, he’s discovered by the witch (named Dame Gothel) who spares his life in exchange for the life of his unborn child. Once the child is born, Dame Gothel cashes in on her bet and raises the baby girl – named, of course, Rapunzel – as her own. When Rapunzel turns 12, she imprisons her in a high tower in the woods, without doors and only a single window, visiting her every day but leaving every night. One night a prince is traveling through the woods and hears Rapunzel’s singing, falls in love, she lets down her hair to let him climb up, etc. The witch discovers them, cuts off Rapunzel’s golden locks, tricks the prince and blinds him. Later, he hears Rapunzel’s singing, her tears heal his blindness and they live happily ever after.

In Rapunzel’s Revenge, things are a little different. The first part of the fairy tale is true – Rapunzel is taken from her parents when she’s only a child and Mother Gothel raises her as her own. But by the time Rapunzel turns twelve, she is able to scale the wall surrounding the hacienda-like home she shares with her supposed mother – and she sees the ruins of the outside world, including her real mother. When Rapunzel confronts Mother Gothel and demands the truth, she is thrown into an isolated tower. As the years pass, her hair grows incredibly long…and then she decides she’s had enough of sitting and waiting around. Using her hair as a rope, she swings to a tree and makes her way to the ground. From there, she runs into a rogue thief named Jack (who is guarding a goose with his live), and together the two of them strike out back to Mother Gothel’s mansion, to save Rapunzel’s mother and to exact revenge.

Thea: Rapunzel’s Revenge is a melange of familiar fairy tales, using not only Rapunzel as inspiration, but also the likes of Jack and the Beanstalk and the dwarves of Snow White – all set against the backdrop of the wild west. And, I gotta say, I think I prefer this retelling of the fairy tale to the original! First off, Ana and I are suckers for westerns (no seriously, we had a whole Western Week to prove it), and what better way to spice up an old story than with some southwest flair? And, strangely enough, the story fits the setting beautifully. Rapunzel’s Revenge is a traveling tale, where Rapunzel and Jack work for their keep, protecting frightened and disenfranchised villagers, stopping horse thief outlaws, and slaying troublesome critters. In each dustblown town they ride to, Rapunzel and Jack always find trouble – but it’s all part of the fun of their adventure together.

I loved the different episodes they go through (not to mention the scene of their first meeting, when Jack’s dressed up as a lady trying to work as a barmaid), and the rapport that begins between these two characters. The writing is solid, as per usual with Shannon Hale – I loved the Books of Bayern by this author, but I was unfamiliar with Dean Hale’s writing and Nathan Hale’s illustrations. And, I gotta say, this is one talented group. Written by the wife and husband team of Shannon and Dean Hale, Rapunzel’s Revenge uses the same imaginative and subversive storytelling Ms. Hale wrote her Bayern Books with, but with a more comic touch. I am pleased to say that these two authors were able to translate from prose to comic form seamlessly – it’s clever, beautifully plotted and altogether winsome. One of my favorite things about this graphic novel was the dialogue employed, especially for Rapunzel. Really running with the western theme, Rapunzel’s lines are colorfully fun – i.e. “Well I’ll be swigger-jiggered and hung out to dry;” or “I can get off my own horse, you rumdum.” Awesome.

Nathan Hale’s (no relation to wife-husband team Shannon and Dean) illustrations are a little more…illustration-y than I was expecting. They are nicely drawn and use a wide array of colors, and I love that Jack is visualized as a hispanic, darker skinned young man and Rapunzel is channeling Pipi Longstocking with her red braided pigtails. Once I got acclimated to Mr. Hale’s style – as he is a children’s book illustrator and webcomic artist – I loved it.

But the best thing of all about Rapunzel’s Revenge has to be the empowering message it sends to young readers, especially girls. There’s romance and adventure in this book, but it’s all because Rapunzel is willing to get off her butt and save herself. And that, my friends, is a worthy message.

Ana:Yes, Thea, I completely agree. Words cannot describe how much I admired this version of the Rapunzel’s tale – in fact it completely overshadowed the original for me. Already in the first pages , Rapunzel shows spunk and determination and by the end of the novel through the various episodes she and Jack go through, she has turned into a veritable force of nature. From naïve young girl to the loss of that naiveté to becoming a strong-willed woman, every step of the way was a great joy to read and see. A graphic novel is a perfect medium for such a story, as every change in Rapunzel’s life was accompanied by a change in her demeanour. Case in point, the point where she turns into a young woman and replaces a virginal white shirt for trousers and vest. Evidenced here:

(both images copyright Nathan Hale 2007 – from here)

Even though like Thea, it took me some time to get used to the art –which at first seemed rather juvenile (not surprisingly, given this is a YA novel) but eventually turned out to be perfect for the story.

The driving force of Rapunzel’s Revenge is the heroine’s need to set things right – starting with her own story and her own need for revenge but ultimately becoming a proper heroine’s quest for JUSTICE. For all the poor people she and Jack met along the way, that were suffering in the hands of Mother Gothel. The Western set is a perfect fit for the story – oh hell, there is little about the book that is not a perfect fit.

And I absolutely loved the narrative as well, especially how sarcastic Rapunzel could be. At times she would narrate an adventure in one way whilst the illustration showed something else entirely. Like her escape from the tree tower: she says something like how gracefully she jumped from the window and the illustration shows her clumsy making her way out. FUN.

On the Characters:

Thea: It’s all about Rapunzel. Gone is the passive weepy princess of the luscious golden locks – and she’s replaced with a fiery, auburn haired whippersnapper. Shortly after saving herself from her tower prison, she runs across the Hero who was questing to save her – with slightly different results than the fairy tale.

HERO: Are you all right?
RAPUNZEL: Oh…Am I…Am I all right? Well, I was until someone shot my pet pig. I was going to call him Roger.
HERO: You’re welcome! All in a day’s work. I’m an adventuring hero.
RAPUNZEL: Well, it’s nice to meet you. It’s nice to meet anyone, really. Can you give me directions to –
HERO: I was getting so bored watching the workers farm my fields all day. So I left behind the civilized comforts of the Husker City, following tales of a beautiful maiden trapped in a high tower.
RAPUNZEL: Oh! That’s so noble of you to come all this way to help her.
HERO: Yes, noble is a good word for me. I can’t actually rescue her, of course. The word is she’s Mother Gothel’s pet and I won’t risk crossing the old lady. But I can tell her I’m going to rescue her. She’s bound to be too naive to know the difference and it’ll be such fun in the meantime!
RAPUNZEL: Oh.
HERO: So, tiny ragamuffin, as payment for saving you from that rampaging beast, you may point the way to her mystical tower.
RAPUNZEL: Uh, yeah, the tower is a huge tree just back that way, but…but she’s slightly deaf. If you keep calling out, she’ll hear you. Eventually.

Tee hee. Even when Rapunzel teams up with Jack, she’s the muscle of the operation – Jack being more of a thief and conman, naturally. She’s witty, and brave and stubborn as all-get-out, and that makes her a perfect heroine cowgirl in my opinion.

And then, there’s Jack. He’s a true delight as a funny, refreshing hero/sidekick character. He actually reminds me a bit of Razo from River Secrets as a jokester who knows when he’s out of his depth – but he’s much more cunning than Razo in his scheming. When Rapunzel strictly tells Jack that they cannot steal for their food and goods, instead they must earn their way back to Gothel’s Reach, he reluctantly agrees because he is the proverbial thief with a heart of gold. He and his “Punzie” (a nickname that Rapunzel detests) form a strong friendship that evolves into a romantic attachment…and it’s so very sweet.

I mentioned it a bit above, but another thing I think I should mention about Rapunzel’s Revenge is how much I loved the diversity in the characters. By diversity, I mean: Not everyone is white. There are hispanic villagers, there are black characters and asian characters, and best of all, Jack himself (a main character) is dark skinned. Diversity is lacking in a lot of “mainstream” fiction and comics, and I loved to see it represented here especially in this young adult book.

Ana:Again, I have to echo Thea’s thoughts for just about everything. The diversity is welcomed , but most of all, well employed (ie the Hispanic villagers are not used for comic relief for example. *coughlikethemovietheproposalcough*).

Jack was a delight to read as a con-man and a worthy hero – even if his ass had to be saved by Rapunzel over and again , which only added to my delight. Even in the end, in the showdown against Mother Gothel, when everything seemed lost and I feared that Rapunzel would end up having to be rescued, Shannon Hale never let me down and turned my own expectations around. I should have known.

The story really does belong to Rapunzel who shines from cover to cover with her determination, smarts, even her bossiness towards Jack. An absolute delight of a character, an example of a young woman who goes after what she wants.

Final Thoughts, Observations and Rating:

Thea: If you couldn’t tell, I loved Rapunzel’s Revenge. This is a book I will give to my ten year old sister to read because of its imagination, it’s beautiful illustrations, writing, and above all because of its model, empowering heroine. Absolutely recommended.

Ana: I had a LOT of fun reading this, for all the right reasons: writing, illustrations, plot and characters. MORE, please.

Additional Thoughts: Apparently we weren’t the only ones to love Rapunzel’s Revenge – it was nominated for the 2009 Eisner Award for Best Publication for Tweens/Teens (though it lost out to Neil Gaiman’s Coraline). In fact, a sequel is completed and due out next year! Here’s a look at Calamity Jack (love the title):

Jack thinks of himself as a criminal mastermind with an unfortunate amount of bad luck. A schemer, a trickster …maybe even a thief? But, of course, he’s not out for himself he’s trying to take the burden off his hardworking mum’s shoulders. She’d understand, right? He hopes she might even be proud. Then, one day, Jack chooses a target a little more …’giant’ than the usual, and as one little bean turns into a great big building-destroying beanstalk, his troubles really begin. But with help from Rapunzel and other eccentric friends, Jack just might out-swindle the evil giants and put his beloved city back in the hands of the people who live there …whilst catapulting them and the reader into another fantastical adventure.

You can check out some of the other cover drafts and art by clicking on the thumbnails below:

Also, check out this non-official trailer for Rapunzel’s Revenge. We think it captures the spirit of the book beautifully.

Rating:

Thea: 8 – Excellent

Ana: 8 – Excellent

Reading Next: Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson

Until recently, I had not been introduced to the works of Shannon Hale, though her book Princess Academy is a Newberry Honor award winner, and Goose Girl comes highly recommended from basically everyone who has read it.

Though embarrassingly late to the party, I finally decided to give Ms. Hale’s books a read for myself, easing into her work with The Book of A Thousand Days. And I really liked it! So, with Young Adult Appreciation Month, what better time to finally read Ms. Hale’s beloved Bayern Books?

I took the plunge…and Holy squawking geese Batman! I loved them.

The Books of Bayern by Shannon Hale

Genre: Fantasy, Fairy Tale (Retelling), Young Adult

Series: Currently 3 books, with a fourth on the way. Though each of the books are connected by the same characters and chronological, each can arguably be read as a stand alone novel.

The Goose Girl (Book 1)

Publisher: Bloomsbury USA
Publication Date: August 2003 (original)
Paperback: 400 pages

The Goose Girl is a retelling of the German fairy tale collected by the brothers Grimm about a kind princess who is betrothed to a prince in a distant kingdom. On the long journey to her bridegroom’s kingdom, the princess is tricked by her handmaid and forced to switch places with her. The true princess becomes a goose girl, and must abide her time until she is saved from her wretched fate.

Arthur Rackham, illustrator

In Shannon Hale’s retelling, the story of Anidori-Kiladra Talianna Isilee (Ani, for short), the Crown Princess of Kildenree uses the same basic components of the Goose Girl fable, but with more magic, drama and a far stronger princess than the original. Ani is born different than her brothers and sisters in Kildenree – she possesses the strange gift of animal-speech, encouraged by her aunt, the Queen’s sister. As Ani grows, however, and her strange talents become known to the court, the Queen is horrified and outraged – she banishes her sister from Ani’s presence, and forbids her daughter from ever using her gift. And so, Ani grows up in a world where she never really can be herself. All her life she tries to live up to her charismatic, powerful mother’s example, and as the Crown Princess due to inherit the throne of Kildenree one day, Ani struggles with the insurmountable weight of expectations. When she turns sixteen, however, her world is dashed to pieces. Her father, the King of Kildenree and the only person besides her lost aunt who truly understood Ani, is killed in an accident and then the Queen breaks some harsh news to the grieving princess – instead of taking the throne of Kildenree as her birthright, she is being shipped away to the fierce neighboring kingdom of Bayern to wed their prince in a gesture of peace and continued goodwill. Ani is crushed, but performs her duty and makes to leave Kildenree forever for a strange new land, with only her horse Falada (whom she can talk to), her handmaid Selia, and a small group of armed men as her escort. As the procession nears Bayern, however, Selia’s true nature emerges as she reveals her plan to usurp Ani’s identity as the princess, and seize power for herself. Those soldiers loyal to Ani are slaughtered by Selia’s men in the escort – for Selia possesses the dangerous magic of people-speech, and is able to convince and bend people to her will – and Ani is barely able to escape with her life. Alone and without any friends, money or proof that she is in fact the princess, Ani sneaks into Bayern and changes her name to Isi (for her grandmother) and becomes the goose girl in the King’s stables. Befriending the other workers – misfits in the Bayern city as forest-born folk, discriminated against by the city-born – Isi lives a quiet life, finally and gradually becoming comfortable in her own skin and realizing the power and importance of her gift of animal-speech. Isi bides her time, but soon is thrust back into action to set things right as Selia’s thirst for power has yet to be quenched, and the fate of Kildenree and Bayern lies in the balance.

Goose Girl is a beautiful coming of age tale, filled with magic and self-discovery. Ms. Hale manages to take a brief, fairly well-known fable and weaves an impressive, lush story that is completely irresistible. Told from the third person but with insight to the princess’s thoughts, Goose Girl succeeds the most in Ani’s introspective journey and growth as a character. As the book begins, Princess Ani is meek, uncertain and trying to live up to her mother’s model – and it takes her losing everything before she finally discovers herself, and becomes the brave, kind Isi, and the rightful Princess of Bayern. Instead of waiting for her Prince Charming to save her, Isi uses the strength she discovers from her months of work with the geese, and her friendships and acceptance of those forest born to right the horrible wrongs Selia has wrought. The transformation is gradual and organic – Ms. Hale never preaches, but allows this parable of self-understanding evolve naturally, through the author’s own gift for language. All of the characters in this book, from the calculating Selia to the fiesty Enna (whom we will see in the next book), are vibrant, layered creatures and truly come to life on the page.

Also, I was impressed with Ms. Hale’s worldbuilding skills in Goose Girl. The political machinations of Kildenree and Bayern, especially with the split between the Bayern forest born peasants and the elitist city folk, are finely written. Similarly, Ms. Hale’s take on magic, with the power of different types of language are beautifully conceived – Isi’s gifts are wondrous indeed. Finally, there is the romantic element to the story in the love story between Isi and the handsome yet awkward Geric. Suffice to say, the manner in which the romance unfolds is all very convenient, but this is a fairy tale after all! I cannot complain.

I fell in love with Isi and The Goose Girl from first sight. This is one of the finest, most imaginative and yet loyal retellings I have ever read, and I highly recommend it. An absolutely stunning, luscious novel.

Verdict: 9 Damn Near Perfection

Enna Burning (Book 2)

Publisher: Bloomsbury USA
Publication Date: September 2004 (original)
Paperback: 336 pages

“Why aren’t you playing?” said Ani, gesturing to the many games of cards and sticks around the room.
“Oh, the fire,” said Enna. Its orange fingers waved specters on the blacks of Enna’s eyes. “I get to looking and can’t look away. Don’t you ever feel like fire is a friendly thing? That it’s signaling to you with its flames, offering something?”
Ani watched not the fire but the play of its light on Enna’s face and felt comfort that there were others who listened for language in what was supposed to be mute and to seek out meaning in what was only beautiful.

~ The Goose Girl

From this short scene, Shannon Hale decided to write the second Bayern Book, Enna Burning. Though I (ever so slightly!) preferred the quiet, fairy-tale feel of The Goose Girl, the fierce, powerful and violent Enna Burning is a beautiful book in its own right.

This time around, Enna, Isi’s best friend from her days as the goose girl, is the heroine of the tale. Two years after the events of The Goose Girl, Enna finds herself back in the forests of Bayern after her mother’s death. Though she is happy, Enna yearns for adventure outside of her sheltered home. Her best friend Isi has single-handedly regained her throne and her identity, given the forest born a place of honor in the King’s army, and deflected a war between Kildenree and Bayern – and Enna knows that her destiny will too be something great, beyond the quiet and simple life of the forest. Things begin to shift as Enna’s older brother Leifer returns home with a peculiar piece of vellum, and starts displaying some erratic behavior. Leifer has suddenly discovered the gift of fire-speech and is able to create flames from air. The gift is not without its consequences though, as he grows more distant and unpredictable, and Leifer refuses to tell Enna how his powers came to be. At the same time, Bayern is provoked into war by the fierce kingdom to the east, Tira. The King’s army is already assembled at the eastern border, but Geric and Isi call for Bayern’s Own, the forest born contingent, to assemble and join in the battle – and together Leifer, the quiet but dependable Finn, and Enna go together to fight. In battle, however, Leifer’s power bursts forth to destroy the attacking Tirans, but the flames also consume Leifer. Heartbroken, Enna desperately tries to understand the source of Leifer’s demise, and against Isi’s advice she reads Leifer’s vellum…and Enna too becomes gifted with the power of flame. But the power comes at a terrible price, as Enna soon discovers. Isi’s wind-speech already is overwhelming her, and Enna’s power over fire threatens to devour her whole. Together, both Isi and Enna must discover balance, before their powerful gifts consume them.

Enna Burning is a completely different type of story than its predecessor. While The Goose Girl was a retelling, Enna Burning is wholly Ms. Hale’s own. Unlike Isi’s quiet and careful strength, Enna is headstrong, fiery and passionate. The two heroines are as disparate as…well, fire and wind. And while Isi’s journey in The Goose Girl is more introspective and about self-acceptance, Enna’s struggles are far more dangerous in its intensity – with her gift for fire-speech, Enna is excited to use her power first by burning tents and outposts, but eventually culminating in killing hundreds Tirans in battle. The horrors that Isi faced at Selia’s hands are nothing compared to the horrors that Enna has to face with her own fire-possessed actions – and it is in this difference that Enna Burning really shines. I loved Enna every bit as much as I loved Isi, if in a different way. I also loved the friendship between these two characters, especially in the last few chapters. What’s more, I loved Ms. Hale’s shift of narrative focus here, so even characters we had met in The Goose Girl are completely different in Enna Burning – Finn, in particular. Speaking of Finn, on the romance front, Enna Burning totally kicks butt. Finn, the quiet, dependable friend that Enna never took seriously shows up in this novel in a big way, changing readers’ perceptions of the character as Enna’s perception of her childhood friend changes too. It’s a lovely, heart-warming (hoho! Lame puns abound!) romance.

Enna Burning also takes the world Ms. Hale creates in The Goose Girl and expands on it significantly, adding in the two new regions of Tira and Yasid. The political ties, the people and cultures in each land are delightfully different from each other, with Tira descended from the same lineage as the Bayern and Kildenree, but the Yasidians speaking a completely different language. Also, the magic in Ms. Hale’s universe expands here with fire-speech as a gift that can be learned, and the importance of balance is introduced.

I found myself amazed by the difference between The Goose Girl and Enna Burning, but I loved this second Bayern Book just as I loved the first. Well-written, impressively imagined, and with a fiery, stubborn heroine, Enna Burning is another keeper.

Rating: 8 Excellent

River Secrets (Book 3)

Publisher: Bloomsbury USA
Publication Date: September 2006 (original)
Paperback: 320 pages

River Secrets picks up where Enna Burning leaves off, following the dramatic conclusion of the war between Bayern and Tira. Attempting to negotiate a peace with a resentful Tira, King Geric and Queen Isi decide on welcoming Tiran ambassadors to Bayern, while sending their own ambassador and a small group of soldiers to Tira as a show of goodwill. Geric’s cousin is the ambassador, and with her travels Talone (loyal soldier who stood by Isi in her darkest hours from Goose Girl) and some of the finest of Bayern’s Own. But Razo never suspects that he will be headed to Tira with his best friends Finn and Enna – though he is a good scout and provides comic relief for all those he’s around, he’s not much of a soldier. Talone has a special mission for Razo, a challenge that will use all of Razo’s wit – for though the short prankster is not much with a sword or in a fight, his powers of recollection and ability to make anyone feel comfortable is unparalleled. While Razo works his spy skills in Tira, the ambassador and envoy are in some serious trouble when a string of burned bodies turn up near their accommodations – someone is murdering Tirans and trying to pass it off as Bayern aggression, in hopes of provoking war once more. At the same time Manifest Tira, a group of political extremists, strike out with a string of assassination attempts on the Bayern envoy. Razo has to work quickly to uncover the mystery of the murders for the future of Bayern and Tira.

As with Enna Burning, River Secrets is a completely different animal than its predecessor. While Enna Burning was a book that spanned different regions, the tragedy of war, and the strength of friendship, River Secrets is a bit political spy thriller; a mystery in a mysterious land. And, as with the books before it, River Secrets works. It’s not as reflective or magical as The Goose Girl, nor as high stakes as Enna Burning, but River Secrets is a fine novel in its own quirky way. And a lot of that is because of Razo.

Ah Razo, Razo, Razo. A trickster that no one seems to take seriously in the first two books though he is good friends with both Isi and Enna, Razo gets his own adventure in this novel – his own chance to shine as an unconventional hero. And Razo has to be one of my favorite characters in all of Bayern. The boy is hilarious – he knows he isn’t much of a fighter and he has no trouble owning up to that fact, running away from fights and letting Enna and Finn take care of business. Not that Razo’s a coward – in fact, his big mouth gets the best of him a number of times – but he’s a joker, not a fighter (except when it comes to a slingshot). I loved his awkward interactions especially with the pastry girls in Tira, and especially with the Tiran ambassador’s daughter, the equally awkward Lady Dasha – who has a magical gift of her own, like Isi and Enna before her. Razo’s sense of humor, his sharp wit and his energy are what make River Secretsso delightful as a novel.

Though it lacks the magic of The Goose Girl or the pathos of Enna Burning, River Secrets is a charming, light-hearted read with a memorable hero unlike any other in the Books of Bayern.

Rating: 7 Very Good

Verdict: If you couldn’t tell, I loved the Books of Bayern – and I highly recommend them all (though if pressed, I’d have to say The Goose Girl is my clear favorite of the three).

And I absolutely cannot wait for the fourth book in the series, titled Forest Born!

Rin is sure that something is wrong with her…something really bad. Something that is keeping her from feeling at home in the Forest homestead where she’s lived all her life. Something that is keeping her from trusting herself with anyone at all. When her brother Razo returns from the city for a visit, she accompanies him to the palace, hoping that she can find peace away from home. But war has come to Bayern again, and Rin is compelled to join the queen and her closest allies—magical girls Rin thinks of as the Fire Sisters—as they venture into the Forest toward Kel, the land where someone seems to want them all dead. Many beloved Bayern characters reappear in this story, but it is Rin’s own journey of discovering how to balance the good and the bad in herself that drives this compelling adventure.

Once again, Newbery Honor-winning author Shannon Hale brings readers to a world where great friendships, unexpected plot twists, and a little dose of magic make for incredible storytelling.

Forest Born is in stores September 15th – so you have ample time to get caught up if you haven’t yet read this series!

I, for one, cannot wait.