Tag Archives: fantasy

Evermore by Alyson Noel

Posted by melydia on April 6, 2012 1 comments

Evermore by Alyson Noel (unabridged audiobook read by Katie Schorr; 8 hours on 7 discs): After surviving the car crash that killed the rest of her family, 16-year-old Ever gains the abilities to hear thoughts and see auras. Damen is the ridiculously hot new guy in school who catches Ever’s attention when she discovers he alone is immune to her telepathy. Comparisons to Twilight are inevitable, but unlike Bella, Ever has both a soul and a backbone. She doesn’t let Damen or anyone else walk all over her, and she genuinely cares about her family and friends. I had fun with this one, amused by some of the teenage silliness and intrigued by the speculations on immortality and reincarnation. In fact, Damen and Ever’s relationship was possibly the least interesting part. My favorite character was Riley, Ever’s dead little sister who still visits almost every day. I don’t know that I’ll necessarily read the rest of the series, for fear that it will focus too narrowly on the OMG-eternal wuv between Ever and Damen, but I definitely enjoyed this story.

Also posted on BookCrossing.

Fire Baptized by Kenya Wright

Posted by melydia on March 30, 2012 None comments

Fire Baptized by Kenya Wright: For decades, supernatural beings – vampires, fairies, werewolves, etc. – have been forced to live in walled-off areas, separate from normal humans. Lanore is a mixed-blood, shunned even by the other supernaturals. When she witnesses a grisly murder, Lanore takes it upon herself to solve the case before she becomes the next victim. Meanwhile, Lanore’s were-cheetah roommate MeShack and mixie revolutionary Zulu are both rather violently attempting to claim her as their own. (Seriously, it’s like neither of them can show desire without tearing her clothes.) Though supernatural beings are all the rage in YA fiction at the moment, Fire Baptized is unquestionably for adults. It’s quite graphic in terms of both violence and sex. Still, it’s a good read. Lanore is smart and interesting, and while I wasn’t too impressed with her choices in male companionship, I still enjoyed watching her figure things out and, ultimately, save the day. The world itself is pretty cool as well, with each person’s supernatural status branded on the forehead and the changes to human history their existence has manifested. I don’t know that I’d go out of my way to read the rest of the Habitat series, but this first installment certainly was quite the adventure.

Also posted on BookCrossing.

Tales from Moominvalley by Tove Jansson

Posted by melydia on March 6, 2012 None comments

Tales from Moominvalley by Tove Jansson: A collection of short stories about our favorite Moomins and the other creatures who inhabit their world. I liked hearing about the fillyjonk, the hemulen, and other such critters, but my favorites were about the last dragon (I heart Snufkin!) and Moominpappa’s journey with the Hattifatteners. The latter was particularly satisfying, as it’s referenced in many of the other Moomin books. As with all things Moomin, I am a terrible reviewer because I just love them so much. The characters, for all their flaws and foibles, are absolutely charming. I can never seem to get enough Moomin.

Also posted on BookCrossing.

The Tales of Beedle the Bard by J.K. Rowling

Posted by melydia on February 28, 2012 None comments

The Tales of Beedle the Bard by J.K. Rowling: A collection of five fairy tales for the magical set, complete with extensive commentary by everyone’s favorite headmaster, Albus Dumbledore. The illustrations, penned by Rowling herself, were very nice. However, the commentary was by far the most interesting part, as the stories were honestly kind of generic. And there were so few of them they didn’t really get a chance to make much of an impression on me. I appreciate that this was created for charity, but on its own it’s nothing special. That said, if you’re dying for one more taste of the world of Harry Potter, this might just fit the bill.

Also posted on BookCrossing.

Jaguar Sun by Martha Bourke

Posted by melydia on February 17, 2012 None comments

Jaguar Sun by Martha Bourke: When already awkward teenager Maya discovers she’s become a shapeshifter – a socially shunned minority of people who can turn into animals – she fears her life is over. Little does she know this is the least of her worries, as she is destined to play a pivotal role in the upcoming end of the Mayan calendar. (Yes, Maya is Mayan. It’s a little silly, but easily overlooked.) I sped through this book in a couple days. Maya is quite entertaining as a narrator, reminding me quite a bit of myself as a teenager. Her best friends, the ever enthusiastic twins Lyssa and Damian, are tons of fun as well. The only part I wasn’t so keen on was the romance, which was overly melodramatic, but I probably would have appreciated it more before I got old and cynical. The ending was a bit anti-climatic, somewhat clumsily clearing the way for the next book, but until then the action was well paced. In short, a quick, fun read. I’ll have to keep my eye out for the rest of the series.

Also posted on BookCrossing.

The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly

Posted by melydia on January 31, 2012 None comments

The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly (unabridged audiobook read by Steven Crossley; 11 hrs on 10 discs): 12-year-old David mourns his dead mother, resents his new stepmother and baby half-brother, and suddenly finds that books have begun whispering to him. One night he journeys to a strange land, a land of fairy tales and dreams. But these aren’t your modern, Disney-fied fairy tales. These are the old cautionary fables, full of monsters and violence. I spent much of the first part of this book wondering why it hadn’t been made into a movie, but once David enters the other land, there is more than a little bit of disturbing, violent imagery. Even so, it’s a captivating story, full of classic motifs and new characters, scary monsters and thrilling adventure. Not one I’ll soon forget.

Also posted on BookCrossing.

Hounded by Kevin Hearne

Posted by melydia on January 20, 2012 3 comments

Hounded by Kevin Hearne: Atticus looks 21 years old, but is actually closer to 21 centuries old, thanks to a deal with a certain god of death. He runs a small bookstore in Arizona in between dealing with a number of gods, werewolves, vampires, witches, and other unexpected characters. The basic idea is that every deity from every religion actually exists, though Atticus mostly has to deal with those of the Celtic variety, since he is Irish himself. In this tale, Atticus must face Aenghus Og, an angry god who has been after him to retrieve a certain magical sword for centuries. I got a huge kick out of this book. Atticus is snarky and sarcastic, and the constant play on mythological archetypes never failed to entertain. I would not hesitate to read the rest of the series. If you’re a fan of The Dresden Files, you’ll probably enjoy this one as well.

Also posted on BookCrossing.

The Book of Dead Days by Marcus Sedgwick

Posted by melydia on December 6, 2011 None comments

The Book of Dead Days by Marcus Sedgwick: I spent most of this book having absolutely no idea what was going on, but in kind of a good way. Boy lives in an unspecified city in Victorian Europe as the servant/companion of grumpy magician Valerian. When the owner of the theater where Valerian performs turns up dead, Boy and Willow (the servant of a singer at that same theater) are the prime suspects. In addition, Valerian is scrambling to find a certain book within the next few days or else face certain doom. I loved the strange semi-magical qualities of this realm, and I was glad that the last page labeled it as Book One because there are all kinds of loose ends left dangling. I would read the next book in the series were I to happen upon it, but I won’t be actively seeking it out. Interesting universe, just not one I’m dying to get back to.

Also posted on BookCrossing.

Dragonflight by Anne McCaffrey

Posted by melydia on October 4, 2011 4 comments

Dragonflight by Anne McCaffrey (unabridged audiobook read by Dick Hill; 9 hrs 14 min on MP3): Lessa is a young girl who bonds with a queen dragon and joins the dragonriders to fight the Threads, a vague enemy which sounds more like a natural disaster than anything. I’ve read a lot of fantasy in my day, but this was my first visit to Pern, and I spent much of the time wondering how in the world so many books managed to be written in this series. The characters are shallow and not especially likable, the names are all spelled with apostrophes (ugh!), the writing was awkward and flowery, and the paradoxes brought on by time travel were frankly tiresome. I guess if I had some kind of existing affinity for dragons I would have been more drawn in, but I don’t. I sincerely doubt I’ll be reading anything else set in Pern.

A note on the audio: Hill’s dialogue was great, though his reading of the description was pretty meh. Then again, I’m not convinced that’s not mostly the fault of the prose itself, as opposed to his acting ability.

Otherworld Tales: Irish the Demon Slayer by C.T. Markee

Posted by melydia on July 8, 2011 None comments

Otherworld Tales: Irish the Demon Slayer by C.T. Markee: Preteen Irish and his friends Streak and Huff are minding their own business when suddenly they find themselves in the middle of an ancient Celtic prophecy in which they must join forces with Cuchulain in the Otherworld to defeat the evil forces of the Underworld, and rescue Irish’s little sister on the way. The story moves quickly, with never a dull moment even between action scenes. I particularly enjoyed the connection with the trees, Cuchulain’s casual attitude toward facing deadly enemies, and the fairly realistic language of the preteens (or maybe I just felt a connection because I still say “dude” far more than is strictly necessary). I thought Huff’s dumb jokes were kind of pointless, but otherwise the characters were distinct and fun. Definitely something a middle-schooler would enjoy.

Also posted on BookCrossing.

© 2010-2026 kate weber All Rights Reserved -- Copyright notice by Blog Copyright