Reading at Dawn - Book Review Blog

Patricia Briggs, Author

Day 2 in A to Z challenge

Patricia Briggs is an American author best known for her urban fantasy series about a car mechanic, Mercy Thompson, who shifts into a coyote in her off time and various other characters, and spin-offs, situated in the very intricate, and fascinating, world she creates. Before, she wrote a set of more traditional fantasy novels centered around a shape-shifting mercenary, Aralorn, a Raven mage and a set of books related to a mage with dragon blood, Ward of Hurog.

All of these series have a strange appeal based on the depth and humour of the characters - but the Mercy Thompson series is, for a reason, one of the most popular urban fantasy series out there. It is a tale somewhere between an unlikely Cinderella story and a supernatural thriller with touches of the Lord of the Rings and a benevolent version of the Godfather. At every turn of the page it will leave you smiling and short of breath in anticipation what might happen next. What is so enchanting about the series is the deep loyalty, intelligence, stubbornness and whimsy displayed by not only the main character, Mercy Thompson, but by the richness of the other characters.

These books have a potential to snag the attention, and hold it, of a wide range of readers from young adult to mature readers and though most would argue that its main readership would be female I know enough men who wait with gleeful anticipation for every new book coming out. 


Reviewed by: 
Christine Blackthorn 
www.christineblackthorn.eu

Ash by Malinda Lo

I had this book a while, long while but didn't read it until now. Will admit I was a bit hesitant after finding out there is a second book that is more of a prequel to this one because then I didn't know which to read first. But I finally picked up Ash and started reading. Here is my review and it works great for Day 1 of A to Z blog challenge and bloggers.

About the Book: 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.



My Review:  I think the line on the cover of my book says it pretty well when it says "It's not the fairy tale you remember." Which is both true and slightly off at the same time. There are many aspects of the book, throughout the whole book, that are reminiscent of the Cinderella tale that we all should know by now (as most retelling stories have some of the similar features). Her father dies, as one would expect and she's left to her stepmother who also has two girls. She works for them and falls asleep by the fire and is fond of books. There is even a masquerade. But among the familiar are also very unfamiliar factors. Such as the existence of the fairies, the huntress and the fact that it's not about her and the prince. And it all works.

One thing I liked in particular about the book is that even though Ash is torn between a male fairy and the female huntress in the story, there isn't a big deal made over sexual orientation in the world. Pretty early in the book she sees two girls who kiss, for example, and it's not a big deal. It just happens. There is no question about it or how she feels. She doesn't worry about what liking the huntress means either. It's a part of life and nothing more. 

Also, while there is a love triangle and mister fairy has a few negative points due to the creepy factor (you'll notice if you read the book) there is a reason behind the triangle and it's not one of those annoying types. To me, the annoying type is the "I can't decide" and "they are both so hot" ones. It's also told in third person instead of first, which helps in some ways but even in first person, it wouldn't reach that annoying factor because Ash isn't focused on how hot one of them is or the other. The love that happens in the story is built up slow and is subtle. I like subtle. 


Anyone looking for an interesting, fantasy retelling of Cinderella should check out this book, whether having read the prequel or not. Ash is a pleasant read that while a tad slow in beginning has a creative twist to the classic tale that will keep you reading to find out how it will end.


Reviewed by Dawn Embers

Hi everyone.

Just thought I'd post a little warning ... I mean, information about April because this blog has been a slow, post every now and then throughout the year type blog for a little while. April we are going to do something off the wall and different. Usually, I take part in the April blog challenge on my personal writing blogs (both of them at the same time last year), however, I thought what better way to kick up the reviews a notch than join a challenge.

April is the A to Z blog challenge! Woot!
http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com/p/a-to-z-challenge-sign-uplist-2014.html

Yep, we are taking part from A all the way to Z for one of my favorite blogging challenges and joining the over 1700 bloggers taking part this year. 26 letters of the alphabet will lead to 26 book reviews for this blog. Either the title, author or series name will start with the letter for that given day. It's crazy but just might work out.

And thankfully, I'm not doing it alone. My sister, who has been officially made a member of the blog, will be showcasing a few reviews closer to the end of the month. But I've also enlisted an amazing reader that I know on Writing.Com, who has offered to do a bunch of reviews for me. She could probably do the whole month alone, that's how awesome of a reader she is and I can't wait to see her reviews.

So expect 26 reviews in April ranging including YA, Fantasy, Non-fiction, and even a little manga.

It's going to be crazy fun. :-D

The Higher Institute of Villainous Education (H.I.V.E)

This is a middle grade book that caught my attention in the bookstore years ago. Then I noticed the first book I purchased was actually book 2 in the series, so I had to wait and get book 1. After years, I have actually read book 1 in the series and can post about it here.

From Goodreads: "Otto Malpense may only be thirteen years old, but so far he has managed to run the orphanage where he lives, and he has come up with a plan clever enough to trick the most powerful man in the country. He is the perfect candidate to become the world's next supervillain.

That is why he ends up at H.I.V.E., handpicked to become a member of the incoming class.... But what Otto soon comes to realize is that this is a six-year program, and leaving is not an option.

With the help of his new friends: an athletic martial-arts expert; a world-famous, beautiful diamond thief; and a spunky computer genius -- the only other people who seem to want to leave -- can Otto achieve what has never been done before and break out of H.I.V.E.?"


 An interesting book in general. I will admit that it might have helped a little to catch book one first, because there is a little less affect to the whole "will they escape" question if you know how much about the rest of the series. So, looking over the future books on Goodreads didn't help that factor either. But let's talk about the book and I might add a few fun images. Trying out a different format for some of the book reviews. May contain minor spoilers to the first half of the book, but I won't mention what happens later on.

Main character is an orphan boy named Otto Malpense. Last name picked, I'm guessing, for obvious reasons. At the start of the novel we get him and another boy, Wing who later becomes the roommate and friend, waking up to a strange discovery. The introduction to the academy comes first, which I wasn't sure about because the back of the book discussed how Otto was this big man of his orphanage but we got that information shown to us a little later on in the tale. They discover they have been kidnapped/hand-selected to join an elite school for villains. *cue evil music*

The school has much to offer with its evil classes, high tech facilities and computer mind overseeing everything (known as H.I.V.E. Mind). Even a class exists for the handy role of "henchmen" though those in that role don't seem fond of the new class of villains. Many instructors which all show personal strengths in villainous activities show up during the novel too. Despite all this, Otto wants no part. So, he plans to do the unthinkable and escape.

However, he doesn't know someone else has an interest in his education. It is a man known only as Number One:


"Hey, Number Two got promoted! Wonder what happened to Dr. Evil." Yeah, I couldn't help myself. Sorry Mr. Walden but thanks to Austin Powers franchise, this was all I could think about every time we get a scene where Number One in his shadowy presence showed up or when Dr. Nero (the head of the school who reported to Number One) even thought about him.  But back to the book in question.


Teaming up with a few classmates, all of whom have their own special villainous skills, Otto plans to escape H.I.V.E. and return to his life. And once it got to the escape, things did escalate. The beginning, I will admit, was hard for me to get through. I got a tad bored and the whole awesome kid character running orphanage was only interesting when we got to the act he did to get attention from the villain school. But once we get to the escape attempt, things pick up and it becomes a book that is hard to put down because there is action and stuff going on where you want to know what will happen next. It's not my favorite middle grade book but I may give book 2 a read in the future. Might even send the books to my younger cousins if they would like to read, though I'll probably recommend a couple others first.


Who would like this one? Recommendation for which readers? I think anyone who is looking for a middle grade, boy action-y book with a bit of humor, this would be a good option to try out. The novelty aspect of the school for villains is fun and I can see how there is potential for quite a long series though I don't recommend looking up information on the other books beforehand. Just pick up book one and start from there. Have fun reading.

I'll admit I'm behind. I read this Young Adult novel back in August, and there are a few books that I finished months before it that I haven't blogged yet. But I'm determined to keep Reading at Dawn open so here is a good start. Paranormal YA has many interesting books available and the Soul Screamers series, in my mind, falls under that category: it was interesting. Here is my review:

About the novel from Goodreads:


She doesn't see dead people. She senses when someone near her is about to die. And when that happens, a force beyond her control compels her to scream bloody murder. Literally.

Kaylee just wants to enjoy having caught the attention of the hottest guy in school. But a normal date is hard to come by when Nash seems to know more about her need to scream than she does. And when classmates start dropping dead for no apparent reason, only Kaylee knows who'll be next.




Overall: Okay, I have to admit that I struggled a little in the beginning of this story because I'd read a couple female main character YA novels with paranormal elements and the crush on certain boy type had already gotten old for me. It redeems itself, but at first I was hesitant even though there was a different paranormal element. The soul screaming had my attention but based on the novel description I was almost disappointed at the start because she manages to have more control of her voice than I would have expected considering the initial set up. But that was easy enough to get over and once the plot thickened, I was hooked. And I didn't expect what came at the end, in the good way. I can see the hints when looking back so it wasn't out of nowhere but definitely not what I quite thought it would go. I liked the book by the end.

Characters: I'm a bit picky when it comes to YA main characters and I think it's part of reading several certain types in a row. But this one at least isn't the 'woe is me' things happen and she needs saved, but she was a little more boy focused than I care for at times but I'm not the character. What I like is that she has a lot she doesn't understand and that is her focus, getting answers. There is the often in trouble best friend, the relatives that are so different than the main character (cheerleader versus non-cheerleader in real ways and other ways too) and there is the boy who happens to have answers for the girl. Even with the typical, the characters managed to pull their weight in the end.

Plot: This is what caught my attention from the beginning, beyond the pretty girl on the cover. It's my first siren-like story and had some creative elements for me in how the system is built up. The author put in consequences for messing with the role death has on the world and I liked those elements in particular because it's not just random powers, the knowing when someone will die, but there is more. When she does get information, the story becomes what can she do and will she be able to save anyone... that kept me reading.

Recommendation: If you like YA paranormal with female characters with slight love interest but the focus is on the growth of the main character, check this one out. It's a whole series, so this is just book one and I hope to some day read book 2.

Since I'd read the first book in A World Without Heroes, I thought that I would check out one of the author's earlier series. I ended up with Fablehaven, which is another middle grade fantasy series. And I actually finished reading this book by using time during lunch breaks at work, getting the last pages read back at the end of August. Kept meaning to post but work distracts me, so here is my review of Fablehaven, book 1 in the Fablehaven series, by Brandon Mull

About the Book:  For centuries, mystical creatures of all description were gathered to a hidden refuge called Fablehaven to prevent their extinction. The sanctuary survives today as one of the last strongholds of true magic in a cynical world. Enchanting? Absolutely. Exciting? You bet. Safe? Well, actually, quite the opposite ... Kendra and her brother Seth have no idea their grandfather is the current caretaker of Fablehaven. Inside the gated woods, ancient laws give relative order among greedy trolls, mischievous satyrs, plotting witches, spiteful imps, and jealous fairies. However, when the rules get broken, an arcane evil is unleashed, forcing Kendra and Seth to face the greatest challenge of their lives. To save her family, Fablehaven, and perhaps the world, Kendra must find the courage to do what she fears most.



Overall: I liked this book. It was an easy but interesting read. The beginning started a bit typical. There were many parts I expected, like the kids going to their grandparents and how things first seemed a bit normal but they started to discover that there is something secret going on there. But that was needed for the story to work. Made me think of the Spiderwick Chronicles movie just a bit, but only the commercial for it cause I haven't actually even seen the move or read that book. It's a two POV story, with both the cautious older sister (Kendra) and her not cautious younger brother (Seth). And this one did definitely have a more Middle Grade feel to it, at least in comparison to parts of the other book I read by the author.

Characters: Both characters are likeable in their own way. It's interesting to go back and forth in this case between the two siblings but together the point of views create the story as a whole because we get to see what is behind the surface of each character. We get to see what is behind the adventurous boy's approach and get in on some of the action from the decisions he makes. On the other hand, we also get to see the cautious steps taken and how she finds out answers and when needed whether she will be able to let her fear down enough to act brave for her family. Both work well and I hope to see them in other stories of the series.

Setting: I don't often talk about setting much because I don't notice it too often nor write it in great detail but Mull does a good job in setting up the Fablehaven location, which will be involved for the whole series I would imagine based on the series title. He does an excellent job in both first books I have read in setting up the world for the series without letting it overpower the first story. There are hints that will come in useful later, I can tell, and in general the Fablehaven is a fun place that I want to learn more about. I'm sure others will find it interesting too, of all ages.


Recommendation:  I recommend anyone really who likes fantasy and is up for a little middle grade reading to try out this book. Whether for a middle grade reader or beyond, it's a pretty fun read overall.

After the couple paranormal romance-y books in a row, I decided to go for something different and picked up a "boy" looking book that  I purchased about 3 or so years ago. The cover alone has that appearance: guy running from something with an explosion in the background. And it did not disappoint. Here is my review:

About the book: Charlie West just woke up in someone else's nightmare.

He's strapped to a chair. He's covered in blood and bruises. He hurts all over. And a strange voice outside the door just ordered his death.

The last thing he can remember, he was a normal high-school kid doing normal things--working on his homework, practicing karate, daydreaming of becoming an air force pilot, writing a pretty girl's number on his hand. How long ago was that? Where is he now? Who is he really?

And more to the point . . . how is he going to get out of this room alive? - Goodreads