Wednesday 31 March 2010

The Last Song - Nicholas Sparks


March 2010, Grand Central Publishing
480 pages, Paperback
Personal copy

Fiction (Family and Friendship)

Cushions: 3
Daggers: 2
Smiles: 4
Tissues: 5

Emina's Recommended Rating:
♥♥♥♥




Synopsis from BarnesandNoble.com:
#1 bestselling author Nicholas Sparks's new novel is at once a compelling family drama and a heartrending tale of young love.

Seventeen year old Veronica "Ronnie" Miller's life was turned upside-down when her parents divorced and her father moved from New York City to Wilmington, North Carolina. Three years later, she remains angry and alientated from her parents, especially her father...until her mother decides it would be in everyone's best interest if she spent the summer in Wilmington with him. Ronnie's father, a former concert pianist and teacher, is living a quiet life in the beach town, immersed in creating a work of art that will become the centerpiece of a local church.

The tale that unfolds is an unforgettable story of love on many levels--first love, love between parents and children -- that demonstrates, as only a Nicholas Sparks novel can, the many ways that love can break our hearts...and heal them.

The beginning of the book started out describing Ronnie and the teenagers around her as stereotypical teens - rebellious and trouble-making adolescents who are self centered. It was funny at first, became annoying, but then I shrugged it off and tried not to pay too much attention to it.

Ronnie lives with her mother and younger brother, Jonah, in New York City. Her parents divorced when she was younger and her dad since moved to North Carolina trying to pursue his dream as a piano performer. Ronnie and Jonah are sent by their mother to go spend the summer with their father, Steve. Ronnie, who hadn't spoken to Steve since he left, was horrified and determined to be a stubborn as possible. Steve played the piano every day when they arrived and it drove Ronnie crazy. It was something she and her father used to share together when she was younger and she had vowed off the piano when he left. She expressed her anger to him and he built a wall around the piano so she wouldn't have to see it any more. As they become closer, Ronnie starts dating a volleyball phenomenon named Will. One of her new "friends" in the area is Blaze, a girl who was kicked out of her own home and slaving away to please a fire-obsessed boy who showed her no respect and had a fascination with Ronnie.

Ronnie slowly realizes that all the new people she met have one thing in common - a fire that ravaged their church. She, however, had no idea that what was going on in the relationships between the characters was tied back to the fire and back to Will's past.

When she learns the truth about everything Steve, Will and Blaze have been hiding from her, she is absolutely astonished.

If you read this book, I warn you to have a tissue box ready towards the end (sadly I didn't and my sleeves suffered because of it). Sparks prolongs agony for both the characters and the readers. More than once I wanted to throw the book out of my fourth-story window in frustration. It is a beautiful novel, but dangerously so.

Nicholas Sparks can be found on his website.

On My Wishlist #13

On My Wishlist is a weekly meme that allows us to share the books we haven't bought yet but are waiting to be bought and devoured. This idea is brought to us by Book Chick City.

On my wishlist this week....

If I Grow Up by Todd Strasser
YA
Gang culture, looks like an eye-opening read.


  
Sock Club by Charlene Schurch and Beth Parrott
Crafts/Hobbies:  Knitting
Look at the beautiful socks - admire them.  I do.



Daughter of the Blood by Anne Bishop
Fantasy
Strong female protagonist in this fantasy novel.



Walk of the Spirits by Richie Tankersley Cusick
YA/Paranormal
I think this is one to be read in daylight hours only.



Memory Zero by Keri Arthur
Paranormal
I like amnesia stories!



Dark Touch:  Shadows by Amy Meredith
YA/Paranormal
Protagonist sounds intriguing, possibly a fast paced book.



The Magic Warble by Victoria Simcox
Children's Fantasy
The cover has drawn me in on this one.



The Game of Triumphs by Laura Powell
Fantasy
Sounds action-packed!



 
Shark Island:  Adventure Unleashed!
Sea Wolf:  Voyage Into Danger!
by David Miller
Children's Fiction/Adventure
There are sharks here! Yay! Sharks rule.



Ash by Malinda Lo
YA/Fantasy
The cover drew me in.



Anastasia's Secret by Susanne Dunlap
YA/Historical Fiction
I love any story about Anastasia, and wish to read this series.



Tuesday 30 March 2010

What would you like to see here?

In the next few months the look of NRC will be changing, courtesy of a wonderful friend who knows more about html than I do.

Since I am waging battle with those all too familiar Germ Gremlins who have a homing beacon with me, I thought I'd see if there's anything else which you would like to see more/less of on this blog.

I am, hopefully, going to be having slightly more author interviews.

Naturally, all suggestions are subject to time restraints on my behalf. However, if things are easy to implement, I'm more than happy to do them.

So, suggestions please!

Monday 29 March 2010

Shadow Prowler by Alexey Pehov


April 2010, Simon and Schuster
396 pages (see note), Trade Paperback Royal
Review Copy

Fantasy

Cushions: 3
Daggers: 5 (Gets rather gory - especially with zombies)
Paperclips: 1 (maybe 0.5)
Smiles: 4
Tissues: 1
Yunaleska's recommended rating: ♥♥♥♥

Note: The final product, I think, has 400 pages. I'm not entirely sure what the Royal part of Trade Paperback means - I just copied details from the back of my copy

Summary from Simon and Schuster

After centuries of calm, the Nameless One is stirring. An army is gathering: giants, ogres and other creatures joining forces from across the Desolate Lands, united for the first time in history under one black banner. By the spring, or perhaps sooner, the Nameless One and his forces will be at the walls of the great city of Avendoom.

Unless Shadow Harold, master thief, can find some way to stop them.

Epic fantasy at its best, Shadow Prowler is the first in a trilogy that follows professional thief Shadow Harold on his quest for a magic Horn that will restore peace to the kingdom of Siala. Accompanied by an elfin princess, ten Wild Hearts - the most experienced and dangerous royal fighters - and the King's court jester (who may be more than he seems ... or less), Harold must outwit angry demons, escape the clutches of a band of hired murderers, survive ten bloody skirmishes ... and reach the burial grounds before dark. Can he escape a fate worse than death?

I have yet to turn down an email request for me to review a book. I couldn't say no to a bestseller from Russia now, could I? Giants, ogres, elves felt pretty normal. But zombies? With elves? That's a new-ish one for me. It was an enjoyable combination of species, who Harold runs in to frequently. More often than not they are after him for not so pleasant reasons. It was funny how much trouble he stumbled across in the first book of his adventure. The hilarity increased with Harold's voice.

Told from the first person, I was hooked by the first few paragraphs. Harold has a voice which meant the pages melted away without me noticing that I'd read a quarter of the book. A thief always interests me as a character, because I want to see whether they have any good in them. Harold does - there were moments where I reached for the tissue, by the way that he reacts to a few of the scenarios. Equally, a thief has a lot of enemies. Some are new. Some are cleverer than the demon who appears in a door way within the first chapter - although the goat-like demons who redefine the meaning of 'friendly fire' were one of the dumbest animals around.

Just because they were stupid, didn't mean that Harold had the upper hand. In a few places he was saved by luck, and by the welcome sight of people who were also after him. On the subject of characters, there were a few that stand out. I mistakenly thought the Elfen princess would be a beauty - she is for her own kind. She has a more than adequate knowledge of shamanism, which is surpassed by a character from an unexpected source. Harold is not all that he seems after a significant event.

This event meant that Harold developed magical powers. I can't be more accurate than that, but the powers aren't easy to conquer or manage. In fact, it is pretty hit and miss when they'll flare up. The source behind the power - well that provided a different point of view for a chapter. I enjoyed that first pov change because it was entertaining, different to Harold's voice, but interesting all the same. The second different pov chapter was okay - I didn't love it, but it did elaborate on the story.

The final pov chapter change was near the end. I confess to skipping it. I started reading it, but couldn't find anything that interested me (ok, there is one line which I liked, but the rest really put me to sleep. No offence to the author and/or translator....but I learnt more from reading the chapter with Harold's pov straight after). I'm all for providing different povs to get information across, so long as it is interesting to the reader. That's why I dropped my rating by one. That and in a few places, it felt that Harold's description of the world/events dragged a little - even with his humour I had to make myself keep reading a few paragraphs. Another thing to point out - it isn't until well over halfway through the book that Harold actually joints up with the characters in the summary. There's a lot of preparation before the main quest - and many sub quests which reminded me in part of role playing games.

Back to the characters - there are so many funny ones. Almost all of them have hidden agendas, and don't reveal every detail of their power and their background. These not so small details prove useful later on. No, I'm not even giving a hint of which characters I'm talking about! That would be a huge spoiler.

The level of detail here is such that I could smell everything Harold smelled. I didn't check in a mirror, but I'm certain I turned green at a few points. There was one bit which freaked me out so badly I nearly shut the book for good. I managed to convince myself it probably wasn't as bad as I thought, and that I've been freaked out more by paranormal anime. I'm glad I finished it.

I really enjoyed this. Evil really is evil - it's a large in numbers, size and power type of evil. Harold meets all of them. Good prevails - but only just by the skin of its teeth. I sped through the book, and groaned when I reached the end. It's not a clean ending. It's a definite to-be-continued ending. I want the next book out now!

It isn't easy translating a book, and I feel that Andrew Bromfield did a great job. Russian is a language I don't know, and unfortunately I have enough hobbies that I can't add it to the list. It must be quite something to read this in Russian - it's definitely worth a read in English!

Alexey can be found on his website (in English, so no scrambling for a translator)

What are you reading? #12

What are you reading on Monday? is a weekly meme hosted by J. Kaye at J. Kaye's Book blog where you post books completed last week and plans for upcoming books. Jump over to her blog and see who else is participating.


Finished: 


Historical Fiction
(Touching story that I want to re-read many times....review)



Fantasy
(Another exciting read from Theresa...review coming soon!)



Epic/High Fantasy
(Review coming soon....though I am upset that I have to wait for the next installment!)



Started to read: 


Fantasy Romance
(Actually, this is a re-read!  Full of deception, strength of heart, mind, and body.)



Planning to read:


 
 
Kids Fiction/Fantasy



Fantasy



Thriller



Fantasy



 
Kids Fiction/Fantasy


And hopefully a few more!  I have two days (at least) of reading all day long!

Sunday 28 March 2010

Fallen by Lauren Kate WINNER


Apologies for being later than anticipated. I got carried away in relaxing (a good thing) and totally forgot to post this on Saturday morning. I was busy trying to master the start of a new video game (Resonance of Fate which rates as Awesome, even if I'm still trying to get to grips with all the fight moves in the Arena). I then went off, had a lovely time with a friend, then cat sat. I didn't take my computer or anything that I could connect to the internet. I read. I was happy. Until part way through the evening when I was thinking about what I needed to do today, and there was a bit 'oh no' moment.

Sorry!

Anyway, I've had some pretty cool entries, soon to be put in a post. The winning number, pulled from a random number generating site is....

BRANDI!

Congratulations Brandi. I'm just awaiting your reply then I can post Fallen to you.

For all those who didn't win/didn't enter/already had the book, I have great news!

There's a special competition coming up shortly, to a limited edition proof copy of Shadow Prowler by Alexey Pahov (review to follow in the next few days). There are only 500 of these special proof copies, so getting one is pretty good going. Each one is officially numbered!

Liking the sound of the book (which is a good fantasy), I wanted to share this with everyone here. So there will be one copy up for grabs! Keep watching NRC for details of how to enter.

Saturday 27 March 2010

The Calligrapher's Daughter by Eugenia Kim


January 2010, Bloomsbury
400 pages, Paperback
Review Copy

Fiction (I call it historical fiction)

Cushions: 4
Daggers: 1
Paperclips: 4 (but infrequent)
Smiles: 2
Tissues: 5
Yunaleska's recommended rating: ♥♥♥♥

Summary from Bloomsbury

Najin Han, the privileged daughter of a calligrapher, longs to choose her own destiny. Smart and headstrong, she is encouraged by her mother—but her stern father is determined to maintain tradition, especially as the Japanese steadily gain control of his beloved country.

When he seeks to marry fourteen-year-old Najin into an aristocratic family, her mother defies generations of obedient wives and instead sends her daughter to serve in the king’s court as a companion to a young princess. But the king is soon assassinated, and the centuries-old dynastic culture comes to its end.

In the shadow of the dying monarchy, Najin begins a journey through increasing oppression that will change her world forever. As she desperately seeks to continue her education, will the unexpected love she finds along the way be enough to sustain her through the violence and subjugation her country continues to face? Spanning thirty years, The Calligrapher's Daughter is an exquisite novel about a country torn between ancient customs and modern possibilities, a family ultimately united by love and a woman who never gives up her search for freedom.

This is a case where the cover enhances how I feel about the story in a positive way. I looked at it, and thought that it would be a beautiful read. That assumption was correct. Unlike a few other books like this, for a fair part of the novel, before Najin is married, she is treated quite well. Okay, so her father didn't name her - but he has reasons for that which are revealed later on in his point of view. She is brought up well mannered and modest. She has a sense of humour, and is loved very much by her mother. So much that her mother risks going against her husband's orders to see that Najin's happiness remains.

That isn't to say her father doesn't respect her. In his own way, he does. He doesn't beat her. He permits her to learn and work (after a few nudges in the right direction). He wants life a certain way - but that doesn't happen, for many reasons. I liked it that Najin lived in a happy home. She's such a good sister to her younger brother, who I feel doesn't appreciate how much she loves him.

The book has opened up my eyes to world history. I knew so little about the Japanese occupation of Korea. Learning how it affected people in their everyday lives, how they prepared rebellions secretly, plotting for many months even though they risked severe punishment shows the strength people gain when they wish to stand up for their rights.

Initially Najin doesn't know much about the rebellion. Her mother refuses to tell her everything, even when her father becomes involved. But, after her time spent with the princess of Korea, she matures and her mother reveals a bit more. Najin is a compassionate girl, and keeps the level of caring and passion as she grows up. She always wants to help those less fortunate. She enjoys being a teacher, although finds it difficult with the constraints the Japanese imposed on all teachers.

Naturally her father wants her married - but the first choice isn't suitable. She doesn't like the next candidate - at least, not at first. I truly loved the courtship between Najin and Calvin. It is a perfect portrayal of how courtship can be. Through conversation and various meetings, Najin comes to realise Calvin is suited for her, and that she has feelings for him. I was so happy when she agreed to marry him. However, this happiness was tempered by what followed.

The moment of joy when she agreed to marry him, was soon marred by her experience of living as his wife. Life is cruel to the new couple, but somehow Najin pulls herself through it all. She doesn't give up, she makes sure her family are well cared for, which isn't easy when food is scarce and any item is hard to come by. Because of her marriage, the Japanese become interested in her. This interest isn't positive, and had me reading on the edge of my seat, hand by my mouth as I read about the horrors in Najin's life.

I can divulge that the ending is more than satisfactory, and I needed a tissue. All the story lines are tied up, the vivid descriptions carry on until the end. I look forward to future works by Eugenia Kim.

Eugenia has an informative website for the book here.

If you liked this, try The Heretic's Daughter by Kathleen Kent.

Friday 26 March 2010

Author Interview with Rook Hastings


Having enjoyed the creepy goings on in Nearly Departed, I am pleased to announce that Rook kindly answered a few questions for us! Thank you Rook!

Where did the idea for the story come from?


I have always been fascinated with the paranormal, since the first time I was haunted by an invisible ghost cat who always used to rub around my legs and bring them up in allergic rashes. About five years ago i had the idea to write a YA novel centering around my interest, I wanted to be based in reality, with realistic characters - as I think that makes it all the more scary and it was after I had come up with the main characters that I developed the story out of them.


Which character is most like yourself? Which is farthest from yourself, and why?


Hmmmm. They all have elements of me. I am a fact geek, like Jay. I love doing research and finding out how things are done, that was one of my favourite parts about writing Nearly Departed. Like Kelly, I can be a bit fierce to hide my inner insecurities and like Hashim I often rather stick my head in the sand that face what is really going on. Also I've felt like Emily, lost and on the outside, but I suppose the person who is most like me is Bethan. Straightfoward, honest, Bethan wants to do the right thing, even if its not always easy.


Do you know yet how many books will be in this series? Are there any hints you can give about book 2?


At the moment I am planning three books in this series, (Yunaleska: Yay!!) but that could change. The next book is called IMMORTAL REMAINS. I can't give too much away, as it would spoil NEARLY DEPARTED for anyone who hasn't read it, but there are plenty of twists and turns and a lot of spookiness!


Which was scarier for you, writing about the psychic scream, or writing about Carter?


Good question! I think that for a lot of young people real life is much scarier than any horror. I wanted to spook my readers, but I wanted them to feel for the real life situation the characters have to survive in too. There are really people like Carter out there - and that is pretty scary. But the ghosts in Weirdsville out scare him any day of the week.


Do you have an actual Muse? Or do the characters speak to you? (Yes, I realise both might label you as missing a few screws but most writers either have a Muse, or characters talk to them.)


I don't have an actual muse...I do get very involved with my characters and it is a little bit like they take over my hands when I am writing. I try not to tell too many people that in case they think I'm barking.


What has the road to publication been like for you? At what moment did you feel 'Yes, I can write'? What do your friends and family think about it all?


The road to publication for me has been a happy one. I have been writing adult and teen fiction under another name (Rowan Coleman) for almost ten years and have fifteen books published in total now. The reason I decided to use a new name for this book is because I mainly write for women and girls and I didn't want to put boys off from picking up NEARLY DEPARTED. I got my first book deal after winning Company Magazine Young Writer of the year in 2001 and have been writing non-stop ever since. I have alway written, since I was child, despite dylexia but I don't know that you ever feel you have got writing nailed, every book is a new challenge and adventure, especially the Weirdsville books because I haven't written anything like that before. My family and friends are always very supportive of me, and it never stops being a thrill when you see a new book in print. I count myself very lucky to have my dream job.


What happens in a typical writing day for you?


9.30 to 2.30 and then sometimes 8.30 to midnight!


A few random questions: Can you write through any distraction (music/children/ etc) or do you need silence? What is your favourite writing snack/drink?


I can't write through children or music with lyrics but I do like to write in a busy noisy cafe, in fact I often find it easier than sitting in my lovely quiet studio. I suppose I drink about a ten cups of coffee a day, so that would be my favourite drink - and if ate as many biscuits as I wanted to whilst writing I wouldn't be able to get out of my chair!

Thursday 25 March 2010

Author Interview with Andy Latham


Having my breath taken away by the stunning photos in Landscapes of the Ribble, I instantly wanted to interview Andy. I haven't reviewed a lot of non-fiction books, and I was interested in finding out how you go about a book based on photos. Thank you Andy for answering my questions (and a small apology for the delay in posting in this).


Where did the inspiration come to put together Landscapes of the Ribble? Were you approached to create the book, or did you think it would make a good book and approach Frances Lincoln/your agent about it?


The Ribble was an area I began to explore more of over the last few years, although I was already familiar with the Yorkshire Dales end. The inspiration came from the landscape itself - the more I explored it the greater my sense of connection and I enjoyed slowly fitting together the jigsaw pieces. It was entirely a personal project to give me a focus for my photography which, fortunately, ended up being of interest to Frances Lincoln.


Why pick the Ribble?


The Ribble appealed to me on several levels - the idea of following a particular valley from source to sea, seeing the changes in the landscape; the landscape offers great variety, covering as it does the Yorkshire Dales National Park, Bowland AONB, 3 National Nature Reserves, historic buildings such as Roman forts, mediaeval castles, ruined abbeys, and the total contrast of the estuary; I liked the link between Lancashire & Yorkshire and particularly the chance to champion Lancashire, a very underrated county (for scenic beauty); finally, the book also provided me with the artistic challenge of representing the landscape in its many forms, different seasons and in a variety of photographic styles.


Do you know roughly how many photos you took in total, compared to the 100+ (yes I counted them!) that feature in the book?


I'd guess at 400+ photos.

Who helped you pick out the photos? Was it just yourself, or did you receive input from other people?


My wife, Michelle, did help to give a different perspective on the images and it was a very difficult process to get an artistic / geographical / subject / seasonal balance. Some compromises had to be made but in the end I like to think the final selection does the job I intended.


Would you consider following this up with more books of photos about specific areas?

Yes, Ive just started my next project which is to photograph Lancashire's Hill Country - the Forest of Bowland, Pendle, West Pennine Moors and south Pennines. Lancashire's countryside has so much to offer yet so few people (Lancastrians included) give it a second look in their dash to the Lakes or Dales. Sadly though, I've not got a publisher interested yet.


Well hopefully a publisher will take Andy up on this project - I certainly enjoy his work.


Be sure to check out Andy's website.

Dear John - by Nicholas Sparks

June 2008,
Grand Central Publishing,
352 pages,
Paperback,
personal copy

Fiction, Love/Relationships

Daggers: 1
Paperclips: 1
Tissues: 3
Emina's recommended rating: ♥♥♥♥♥





Summary from Hachette

An angry rebel, John dropped out of school and enlisted in the Army, not knowing what else to do with his life--until he meets the girl of his dreams, Savannah. Their mutual attraction quickly grows into the kind of love that leaves Savannah waiting for John to finish his tour of duty, and John wanting to settle down with the woman who captured his heart. But 9/11 changes everything. John feels it is his duty to re-enlist. And sadly, the long separation finds Savannah falling in love with someone else.

John's life changes forever when on leave from the Army and he jumps off a bridge to save a woman's purse. From that night on, he is entranced by Savannah, a college student who is in the area working for Habitat for Humanity for the summer. When John brings Savannah to meet his father, she sees something in him that John hasn't seen. She is patient with him while John is impatient.

He and his father have never had a very close relationship. His father is intrigued in coin collecting, something the two of them had done all John's life and something his father had done with his grandfather. All their conversations are based upon coins and past memories of them acquiring new coins. John has grown sick of the collecting and how his father never talked about anything else, but when he relays this to him their conversations come to a halt. His father becomes distant and quiet, having nothing else to talk about.

Savannah is, however, quite appreciative of his father's passion for coin collecting. Her dream is to start a horse ranch to help children with developmental and psychological disabilities. She approaches John and tells him how she thinks his father has Asperger's.

John's leave comes to an end and he has to go back to the Army and Savannah has to return to college. They keep their relationship alive through letters. Savannah always writes to him, and every letter begins with "Dear John". When his commitment to the army comes to an end, September 11th occurs and John feels the need to re-enlist and help out in any way that he can. A week of visiting every summer becomes little time to keep John and Savannah's relationship alive through year after year. One day, she sends him a final letter.

Nicholas Sparks keeps up his reputation of being a tear-jerker with this novel. His words twist both pain and pleasure into readers and have them hanging on to every word like a lifeline. Dear John contains many surprises which leaves readers astonished and on edge. This is a book you cannot put down.

Nicholas Sparks can be found on his website.

Wednesday 24 March 2010

Cut Short by Leigh Russell

June 2009, No Exit Press
350 Pages, Paperback
Review Copy
Crime
Cushions: 4
Daggers: 3 (There is violence but this is not overdone -it's enough to explain it without wishing to shock the reader)
Smiles: 2 (Despite it all there are one or two humorous lines in there)

Gerry's recommended rating:

Summary from PUBLISHER


When D.I. Geraldine Steel relocates to the quiet rural town of Woolsmarsh, she expects to find her new home to be somewhere where nothing much ever happens; a space where she can battle her demons in private. But when she finds herself pitted against a twisted killer preying on local young women she quickly discovers how wrong she is...
By day, the park is a place for children's games, for people walking their dogs or taking a short cut to avoid the streets. But in the shadows a predator prowls, hunting for a fresh victim. When an unwitting bystander comes forward as a witness she quickly becomes the next object of his murderous obsessions - someone whom the killer must stop at all costs.
D.I. Geraldine Steel is locked into a race against time, determined to find the killer before they discover yet another naked corpse . But can she save the lives of the town's young women - or will Geraldine herself become the killer's ultimate trophy?


When I asked for a copy of Cut Short by Leigh Rusell to read I was told that the author had asked that whoever reviewed it should also review the next two in the series and could I agree to that? I readily agreed and sat back to await it's arrival. It's during that wait that you start to wonder whether you've done the right thing. It's a long while since I have read a bad book and I could have agreed to such a series of books!

When it arrived I was very quickly put at ease - a bad book this was not. The cover compares Leigh Russell to Rendell and La Plante but they are famous for who dunnits. This is not a who dunnit. We start chapter one with the killer as he hides the body of the first victim and we spend a fair time inside his head. It's not a nice place to be but one thing I have always struggled with is where the news tells us a killer did it because God told him to. In this book I could see and believe in this phenomena and I can now admit to understanding how they can believe it themselves.

We meet Geraldine Steel, a DI working on a team investigating the murder which soon becomes apparent as the start of a serial killer's trail. She is part of a team and not the leader - this again sets Leigh Russell apart from other writers. DI Steel does not enjoy a simple domestic life but has various problems of her own, but in reality who doesn't? We are exposed to some of the stresses she feels as she battles to try to find the killer and not be removed from the case. We meet others members of her team, key public figures and potential victims and the characterisation is such that I understood the people as much as the story required.

The chapters are short and snappy which makes this book excellent for stop start reading and the action is fast but not gory. I found, because of the writing style, I constantly wanted to read one more page and so the story flew past and I really did enjoy it.

I feel my decision to read this is more than vindicated and look forward to the second book in the series.

I am asked to include anything I didn't like about the book in the review and I find that hard to answer - how about it's a signed copy and it is addressed to 'To Yunaleska (real name witheld for privacy)' and I'm not Yunaleska. If that's all there is to fault it, then it cannot be bad. Yunaleska adds: Sorry for that - the book was sent out before I knew you were going to read it!

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a thriller but doesn't enjoy the gory horrendous stuff of the Stephen King ilk.

Author can be found at: http://leighrussell.blogspot.com/

Other reading I would recommend would be PD James and A Taste for death.

Be sure to check out the interview Gerry held with Leigh here!

Seeds of Earth by Michael Cobley














January 2010, Orbit
656 pages, paperback

Science-fiction

Ease of reading: 2
Daggers:2
Martin's recommended rating:

The first intelligent species to encounter mankind attacked without warning. Merciless. Relentless. Unstoppable. With little hope of halting the invasion, Earth's last roll of the dice was to dispatch three colony ships, seeds of Earth, to different parts of the galaxy. The human race would live on ...somewhere. 150 years later, the planet Darien hosts a thriving human settlement, which enjoys a peaceful relationship with an indigenous race, the scholarly Uvovo. But there are secrets buried on Darien's forest moon. Secrets that go back to an apocalyptic battle fought between ancient races at the dawn of galactic civilisation. Unknown to its colonists Darien is about to become the focus of an intergalactic power struggle, where the true stakes are beyond their comprehension. And what choices will the Uvovo make when their true nature is revealed and the skies grow dark with the enemy?

Science fiction has never been first on my reading agenda and after reading Michael Cobley's new space opera 'Seeds of Earth' I won't be rushing to add the genre to any future reading agenda either. There's no doubt that this is a very well written piece of literature, told in the third party, but it fails in my opinion to captivate the reader. Some chapters of the book are extremely captivating, whilst others are too descriptive and quite honestly - boring.

There are many interesting characters throughout the book, namely those based on the forest moon of Darien. The Uvovo people in particular are almost evocative of characters from a Tolkien novel. But the interaction between the Humans and Aliens generally fails to work. Cobley's use of third party narrative brings in the main characters, Greg, Catriona, Theo, Robert and Chel of the Uvovo amongst others.

Michael Cobley is planning a sequel to 'Seeds of Earth' entitled 'Humanity's Fire'. I for one will not be at the head of the queue for a copy on its release.





On My Wishlist #12

On My Wishlist is a weekly meme that allows us to share the books we haven't bought yet but are waiting to be bought and devoured. This idea is brought to us by Book Chick City.

On my wishlist this week....

Dark Secrets by Elizabeth Chandler
YA/Gothic
With lots of intrigue = lead me to them!


The Explosionist by Jenny Davidson
YA/Thriller
Should have things that go *boom*!


Fairest by Gail Carson Levine
YA/Fantasy
Looks like a good fairy tale style story, with humour and tension.


Vale of the Vole by Piers Anthony
Fantasy
I love animal stories like this :)


North of Beautiful by Justina Chen Headley
YA
A story about discovery...


Ash by Malinda Lo
YA
A fairytale with more than a few twists. And look at the gorgeous cover.


Impossible by Nancy Werlin
YA
Got to love a good curse.


Norse Code by Greg Van Eekhout
Dystopian
About the Valkyries....love this kind of work!


Keeper of Dreams by Lynn Armistead McKee
Fantasy
Recommended by my wonderful Meme Controller, this sounds intriguing :)


Violet Wings by Victoria Hanley
YA
I know fairies are in here...but that's about it. I got drawn to it by the cover.

Tuesday 23 March 2010

Lord of the Mountain by James Lovegrove


February 2010, Barrington Stokke
96 pages, Paperback
Review Copy

Fantasy

Interest age: 12 years +
Reading age: 8 years

Cushions: 4
Daggers: 2
Smiles: 5
Tissues: 1
Yunaleska's recommended rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

Summary from Barrington Stoke

Tom Yamada seems like any 15-year-old but he's actually a supreme martial artist, training daily to face a terrifying challenge when he turns 30. It's his destiny to fight the 5 Lords of Pain - demons who have been trying to break into our world for centuries. But something's gone wrong. Tom must face the 5 Lords now - and no way is he ready. If he loses, a new Dark Age will begin. No pressure, then ...


Dragon has attitude. Forget the lord of the mountain, Tom has a nemesis in Dragon's attitude. I like how Tom explores the oddity of Dragon's dual personality. They were the thoughts that I had as a reader.Dragon is like most martial arts masters in novels: extra tough on students, but deep down he cares a lot for them, even Tom.

I had figured the Contest was a big deal for Tom, but the seriousness of what would happen if he lost sobered me up a fair bit. I think that I won't be able to release my breath (metaphorically) until I finish the fifth book. I love books like this which have me on the edge of my seat until I finish them.

Elemental gems piqued my interest. Gems are renown in fantasy stories, be they books or - and especially - in video games. I wasn't disappointed with where the gems led Tom.

Tom's attitude as someone embarking on a long road before reaching his final goal is realistic. He is living for the now, not quite seeing why he should develop good habits now when he has years ahead before facing the trials (or so he thinks). Tom isn't confident. He may look the part of hero but he doesn't feel like one. Yet, even if he had more years of training I don't think anyone could ever be ready to fight such a powerful being. These weaknesses make him an appealing character.

The way Tom's mother plays a prominent role is pleasing to see. She knows exactly what is going on, cares about him dearly and speaks honestly with him. She doesn't exaggerate his abilities or wrap him in cotton wool. She has her concerns, which Tom agrees with. But he finds a way to meet those concerns head on.

I couldn't figure out how the lord of the mountain was connected to rain and water. If anything I would connect him with earthquakes or landslides. Mountain to me represents solidity, like the earth. My thoughts on this were correct, which mystified me about the water unless i was just the elements reacting to the lord preparing for battle. Now, the material used to cloak the battle from the outside world fits the lord of the mountain's personality perfectly.

I felt it interesting how Tom feels that Kanji, one form of Japanese writing, can look malicious. I've only ever viewed it as beautiful. I suppose the message written for Tom isn't a friendly invite to a tea ceremony, which explains his mixed view point.

The venue of the duel will interest readers, explaining a bit about England's heritage. The explanation of how the site was constructed centuries ago without the benefit of modern technology reminds me of how clever mankind has been in construction throughout time. I'm specifically not naming the place so I don't spoil the story.

At one point in the fight I turned a bit green at the rather gruesome description. I enjoy getting these feelings because it shows how engrossed in the story I am.

The end was funny, with a real sense of anticipation for what lies ahead for Tom. The other lords will not be as easy to defeat, but I believe he will get through it. The costs that the fights will have on his life, now that is a different matter. I hazard a guess that something at some point will happen to his mother, thereby raising the stakes for the contest.

The terms of fighting styles and weapons are easily assimilated with unobtrusive, clear definitions woven into the story. The small glossary at the back of the book is useful for reference.

Be sure to check out The 5 Lords of Pain website.