update: How It's Going

Howdy! It's been a while. I'm not sure how much longer it'll take for another book review to be up, so here's a "checking-in" post just talking about what's going on, and what will probably come.

Camp NaNoWriMo. 

My priority in life right now is to write the remaining 15k in 4 days.

I've always had an awesome time at the Camp because I love the cabin layouts and the fact that you can see our progress in charts. It was very enjoyable in April, when I had very active cabin mates. This time though... my cabin mates are strangely silent and I'm feeling lonely in my final sprint for the word count.

Reading Jump Boys: SOS

The gadgets and explanation of the world was integrated into the storyline, in a way where you only know about them once you need them, and that always caught me off guard. I'm loving the concept of dimensions and a space station orbiting jupiter. A more intellectual than the action-packed sci-fi I was expecting. The review will be up soon.

Reading The Unlikely Hero in Room 13B

I've read the first few pages to gauge my interest, and I was impressed with the sheer amount of emotions resonating in just a few pages. I am so thankful to the publishers, Doubleday Canada, who gave me an electronic ARC in exchange for an honest review. The book comes out August 27th, 2013.

Check out the premise (from Netgalley):

When Adam meets Robyn at a support group for kids coping with obsessive-compulsive disorder, he is drawn to her almost before he can take a breath. He’s determined to protect and defend her—to play Batman to her Robyn—whatever the cost. But when you’re almost fifteen and the everyday problems of dealing with divorced parents and step-siblings are complicated by the challenges of OCD, it’s hard to imagine yourself falling in love. How can you have a “normal” relationship when your life is so fraught with problems? And then there’s the small matter of those threatening letters Adam’s mother has started to receive . . .

     Teresa Toten sets some tough and topical issues against the backdrop of a traditional whodunit in this engaging new novel that readers will find hard to put down.

Well, that's what I've been up to. (In between watching StarKid musicals, Sherlock, and Marvel movies. :D) Thanks for stopping by!

PS: Anyone else is excited for Wolverine? Catching Fire? :D

review: Skulduggery Pleasant #7.5: The Maleficent Seven (Novella)

by: Derek Landy
HarperCollins Ebooks, 2012
Middle-grade Fantasy (novella)

Remember how I said this series was too good to put down? Too good to stop in between and write reviews for every single book? Yes? Good. That's why I'll be skipping the 4th, 5th, 6th, and 7th books to bring you this. I might come back one day and fill them in, but I just finished this, and "The End of the World" is sitting on my bookshelf, and I'd rather jump to the more recent books. (I'm terribly impatient like that.)

Summary: 

The newly changed Tanith Low will do anything to ensure that Darquess will destroy the world. Traveling around the world, she gathers a team of seven to find and destroy the four God Killers--before Dexter Vex's own team of seven (aka. the good guys).

The survival of the world depends on who gets these weapons, and it's a chase through continents as the two teams fight to steal the weapons first.

Thoughts: 

Action, action, action. With an unpredictably twisting plot covering locations and magical figures around the world, fans of the SP 'verse will love the chance to get an extra glimpse into the previously secondary, but interesting characters. The cast features two Dead Men, Dexter Vex and Saracen Rue, Frightening Jones, Tanith Low (of course), the English sanctuary, Dusk, Jack, and many more. This book could be a fun few hours, with lots of ingenious heists and action scenes, but it lacks a little in the witty conversation and, in my biased opinion, the awesomeness that is Skulduggery and Valkyrie. (On the bright side, we can all be glad that there is no Scapegrace.)

The symmetry of the novel sets the scene well. Tanith and Dexter Vex both pull a team of seven together, and race to four places in the world to get the four weapons before the others can. Tanith is a wonderful antagonist because she's so unpredictable and unique in her plans. If anyone's ever wondered about Tanith's past, this book tells us the tale with little vignette flashbacks thrown throughout.

I enjoyed the plot, it was a well thought-out plan, told mostly from the POV of Tanith, the evil mastermind in this case, and almost reads like Artemis Fowl. However, her sociopathical nature was... not what you expect and she felt astoundingly flat. She wasn't, but she felt flat, because of her lack of emotion. Her inability to feel anything irritated me. Maybe that was the point. You could see how much she'd changed, from her childhood to the end of this book.

I was not impressed by the pacing. The character are what was really appealing in this book, but instead we go from action to action. It was a huge rush, pacing was painful because so much of the book is slow in the beginning, wasted on every single way that Tanith recruits her team. Then suddenly, we're switching POV's like crazy, dripping into a flashback of Tanith's childhood, involved in some weird romances, going from dead Men to vampire in a heartbeat, and you knew what was happening but there didn't seem to be any of the marvelous buildup to a clear climax. In a rush, then suddenly you're there at the final showdown. And it wasn't a showdown. It was just more action.

Too much running around and a slew of character that dispersed the reader's concentration, but the plot of solid and the characters were as interesting as always. I guess when you're used to writing 900 page books, when you write a novella, you just have to overcomplicate it.

Rating: 

3.1/5

And there you have it!  See the length and enthusiasm I have for something I just read? That's why we're skipping the 4 books in between. That, and because my writing can't seem to keep pace with my reading.

Thanks for stopping by! 

PS: Anyone else obsessed with Nimona, or is it just me? 

review: Skulduggery Pleasant #3 The Faceless Ones

by Derek Landy
HarperCollins, 2009
Middle Grade Fantasy

Third book in the SP series, and the marathon continues...

Summary:

Teleporters are the most tricky of all sorcerers. Any sign of trouble, and in the blink of an eye, they could be halfway around the world. Which is why the fact that they're being murdered like flies is extremely disturbing. It should be impossible, for one. It's up to Valkyrie and Skulduggery to solve the mystery. As they realize that the murders are somehow linked to the Faceless Ones, a race of destructive gods, they must race find the leader of the group of powerful sorcerers and stop him before it's too late.

But just who is this mastermind? Powerful enough to kill the one type of sorcerer that was previously thought untouchable?

Thoughts:

The book is another sarcastic and witty installment in this suspenseful series. We see more character development of our main characters, Valkyrie and Skulduggery. The mystery in this one is one of my favourites. THe first two books were close to being similar, but this one adds lots of new elements, from adding the difficulty and raising the stakes to many different settings and many more types of magic.

We get to meet believably creepy necromancers, a haunted house run by a ghost, a sea hag in a lake, and meet the teleporters, a rather secretive and arrogant bunch in general.

The amount of deaths involved in this book got unnerving once you understood that people all over the world were being killed. That was a bit gruesome to get your head around. But it's kind of deliciously gruesome, like Terry Pratchet or Tim Burton.

I know this is a very, very short book review for me, but I think that says how wonderful it was. I couldn't put this book down long enough to write more than a few jot notes, and just had to keep reading this series. But don't worry, I have a very long review for the Maleficent Seven in store!

Rating: 

4.7/5

review: Skulduggery Pleasant #2: Playing with Fire

by: Derek Landy
HarperCollins, Ebooks 2010
Middle Grade Fantasy


Continuing with our SP marathon, Playing with Fire is the second book in the series.

Summary:

Stephanie and Skulduggery are back, this time against the recently escaped Baron Vengeous. Who, on a scale of evil from 1 to 10, ranks an 11. Valkyrie and Skulduggery have to stop him from raising the grotesquery, a hybrid made of different evil magical being and with the heart of a Faceless One, before it can bring them back. Can the gang do it in time?

Thoughts:

Baron Vengeous is my favourite villain of all time. He's powerful, violent, and a manipulative mastermind. There's something both incredibly dangerous and funny about going after a religious fanatic. (He also uses traditional insults like "heathen") That, and he issues such melodramatic threats.

Vengeous scowled. “As you can see,” he said, “you are vastly outnumbered.”

“I usually am.”

“Your situation has become quite untenable.”

“It usually does.”

“You are within moments of being swarmed by these filthy creatures of undeath and torn apart in a maelstrom of pain and fury.”

Skulduggery paused. “Okay, that’s a new one on me.”

And Skulduggery's retorts are priceless.

“Are you going to shoot me?” Vengeous sneered. “I wouldn’t be surprised. What would a thing like you know about honor? Only a heathen would bring a gun to a sword fight.”

“And only a moron would bring a sword to a gunfight.”  

Of course, the same cast of characters are still available. Tanith gets quite a few fight scenes here and really bonds with Valkyrie in a sister relationship. Landy handles all different kinds of relationships with a kind of maturity and understanding that is nice to see. No matter how much Valkyrie tries to avoid it, it seems saving the world does always have to do with going to see her family. Val's parents' relationship is one that is always nice to see.

China also gets to demonstrate her own powers and even a bit of loyalty that she swears doesn't exist. Her relationship with Mr. Bliss is something that just kept haunting my mind. The one line that captured it:  

Valkyrie had never seen a brother and sister regard each other with as much wariness as they did.

Not only were the people on the good side developed, a new cast of antagonists were introduced. They provided more irritation than actual suspense. I think it's because anyone: Skulduggery, China, Tanith, could take them down. As long as Valkyrie wasn't alone, no one in the good side was in danger.

Despite the huge cast of characters, they each had clearly distinctive traits and personalities that kept readers interested. Still a detective-mystery-type story, the mystery was a clever one, full of twists and turns in the path to solving it. If you like magic, witty banter, exciting characters, and detective mysteries, the Skulduggery Pleasant series is for you. The second book in the series is one of those rare ones that are just as good as the original.

Rating:

4.7/5

First Impressions of Time Rep

by  Peter Ward
Pub Date: Jul 9 2013
Publisher: Diversion Books 
ARC recieved from publisher (thank you!) 

Summary: 

Time Reps are tour guides for time travellers. Sounds pretty good, right? 

There's one catch. You have to be the most insignificant person in the world to qualify. When Geoffery Stamp is offered the job, he's not sure to be flattered or offended. 

Set in 21st Century London, England, Geoffery uncovers a conspiracy to change the course of history. 

Thoughts: 

Time Rep has a suspenseful premise, solid writing, and an extremely relatable character. I was unable to finish the book purely for personal reasons. Put plainly, it's just not my cup of tea.   

It has many great qualities. Ward's use of different writing devices (metaphors, parallelism) just pile on, one after the other like a film reel and I start to feel desensitized. The dry humor somehow doesn't hit my spot. The British lingo seems authentic, but leaves me confused. The detailed way in which the story is explored combined with very ordinary dialogue leaves me itching for action.

I honestly think this is a solid story, with an exciting premise (which is why I requested it) but due to some strange astronomical reason, I am not the person to enjoy this. 

Rating: None (did not finish) 

review: Skulduggery Pleasant #1 (Scepter of the Ancients)

by: Derek Landy
HarperCollins E-books, 2007
Middle-grade fantasy

Summary:

   Twelve year-old Stephanie Edgley is a witty heroine, who is not afraid to speak her mind. With Skulduggery, a talking skeleton as her constant companion, a woman who takes on a full grown troll with only her sword, a tailor who was cursed before he was born, and a seducing book-collector who freely admits she’d betray them at any moment; Stephanie has to help find the mythical Scepter of the Ancients. Fast--and before the evil Nefarian Serpine.

My Thoughts: 

My hopes were pretty high for this book because I've read some raving reviews. And just looking at it--you know it'll be hilarious.

So brilliantly witty, magical, and smart. I'm so impressed with this book, even more impressed after the second read, that I think this will be more scattered as reviews go, but definitely worth the effort.

Stephanie, or Valkerye Cain, as she decides to call herself, has a voice that I love. It maybe just her matter of fact way of dealing with the supernatural, or her refusal to be pushed around, or maybe just when she had this conversation:

“Gordon used to talk about you all the time, boast about his little niece. He was an individual of character, your uncle. It seems that you are too.”

“You say that as if you know me.”

“Strong willed, intelligent, sharp-tongued, doesn’t suffer fools gladly… remind you of anyone?”

“Yes. Gordon.”

“Interesting,” he said. “Because those are the exact words he used to describe you.”

And since she knows nothing about magic, when it is finally revealed to her, she asks the perfect questions. Immediately. Everything I would want to know if that ever happened to me. And she's wittier and smarter than you could ever imagine, while still being so vulnerable at the same time.

Skulduggery is a skeleton detective. And it's clear despite his gun-ho attitude (or fire-throwing-ho attitude to be exact) and his use of sarcasm and seemingly humongous ego, that he carries an emotional baggage.

In this first installment of this series, Derek Landy manages to introduce a world of beautiful and complex magic with likeable and still human characters wrapped in this Tintin/Sherlock esque search for adventure and cracking of mysteries. This is a must-read for the adventurous reader.

Rating: 

4.7/5

SP marathon: thoughts (Part 1)

The review of the first book will be up soon. All I need are a few finishing touches and Goodreads to cooperate--

Now onto a few thoughts, spoiler alert!

Some thoughts: 

The thing I love the most about this series is Stephanie. She's really a normal girl who is really smart. In all kinds of situations I keep on expecting her to kick ass, but she's not. Perfect from the start, that is. She's even more amazing as a result. In fight scenes, I keep on expecting her to punch here, kick here, be that character that always knows how to attack and win. She ducks down and slides underneath the jumping attacker instead and when she's in front of a huge wicked, slimy mouth and instead of running away from the tentacles its sprouting, she runs at it, uses the lip for some spring and grabs the rocky ledge above.

Skulduggery--I think this quote, one of the most memorable ones, where Serpine catches him really shows his character.

"Well, Skulduggery? Where is that tired old defiance--the taunting, the goalding? Where are the endless heroic cliches? Aren't you going to look me in the eye and tell me to do my worst?" 
“Actually, I was going to ask that you go easy on me; I’m feeling kind of tender today."
“This is your one chance. Tell me where the key is."
"Okay.”
S-- raised an eyebrow. “Really?”
“No, only joking. Do your worst.”

I really like the introduction of new magic. There are tons of different types but the way they are revealed is usually interesting and I just love how large of a variety there is. There are two main types, elemental and adept. Adepts can include so many different types that it's weird.

List of Powers

• teleportation
• seers
• warlock (eat souls to be virtually indestructible)
• necromancy
• scientific (if you go into computer tech you become the computer)
• physical (Tanith/whatever the cleavers have/Bliss)
• symbols
• children of the moon (spiders)
• werewolves 
• persuaders 
• break bones with a touch
• travel through the ground
• vampires
• zombies
• banashee
• remnants

And I can keep all of these straight in my head. Landy manages to introduce a world through the eyes of a normal teenager. It's introduced so seamlessly, it becomes fun to learn about the magical world from the detective. Especially when he throws some sarcasm in. ;)