Stormlord Rising by Glenda Larke
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Sigh...another book falls under the weight of being that Awkward Middle Book, the one that doesn't really need to exist but does so that the author can release a trilogy, because heaven forbid anyone go against what's acceptable and write two books, or even one, because obviously it's trilogies people want and we mustgivethepeoplewhattheywant...breathe!!!!

I can sum this book up very simply. There was walking, and there was talking and not a lot else, unless you count that any strongish female character from the first book had all their strength leached from them as soon a they smelt a potential mate on the horizon! Relationships that help so much promise just withered, dried leaving naught but a formless husk. It's just so relentlessly vexing when female characters go against their personalities, doing stupid things for the sake of their men folk. If the character is weak to start with then fine, at least she's being true to her nature, but when they were once strong willed, it's galling, the brainless things they'll endure. Remaining a slave in an enemy camp because they can't bear the thought of leaving their husbands behind so they won't escape without them, is one example. I can't even tell you the two things that made this even more infuriating as they could be construed as plot spoilers, but both are very good reasons not to hang about being a slave. We were led to believe in the first book that this particular woman was intelligent, strong, pragmatic and yet she seems to forget all that as soon as her man is in trouble. Every page we have to hear her bemoan her fate, how difficult it is to see him suffer, blah, blah, blah. How it hurts her so blah, blah, blah. Easy solution there love, LEAVE WITHOUT HIM. That may seem harsh, but there is a reason for it but like I said, I don't want to give away any spoilers. The woman from the first book would have done what she needed to do to survive. It would have been difficult, but she would have done it regardless. It was so disappointing to see this simpering (slightly harsh but I can't think of a better word) woman taking her place.

Another example. Two characters get thrown together in book 1. Over the course of about three chapters, they start to develop feelings for each other, it's all very rushed and lazily done. In book 2, they go their separate ways, each with their own destiny to fulfil. Well Mr. Man, despite worrying about the lady every page, wanting to know if she's safe, lamenting his broken promises to keep her safe, the wonderings that perhaps his feelings go deeper than friendship, jumps into bed with two other women. Now like I said, they didn't really know each other that well, but because he thinks about her so much, we are led to believe he most likely loves her. So him bedding two other ladies is a bit of a surprise, especially considering he is quite honourable and loyal. It goes completely against his character then that he spares not one thought for this girl he spends a lot of pages mooning over. She doesn't even cross his mind. There's no hint of remorse. Granted they never had any kind of agreement as to their relationship, but Mr.Man knew the girls feelings from an outside source, knew that she probably loved him. Did he care? NOPE!!!! Oh he protested at first, but a pretty face and a bit of transparent flattery and he's on his back. Don't get me wrong, it's not the act that offends. Boys will be boys and I know this isn't the case with all, but a large number think mostly with their penises. It's the fact he didn't feel even slightly guilty with regards to his lady friend. That to me was a severe lack of character continuity and not in keeping with his personality at all.
But that's not the worst part. While he's off dipping his wick, his lady is off doing her thing and not having a particularly nice time, all the while worrying that he's in trouble. Half way across the country, she gets a message, asking her to return. Bearing in mind she's had a pretty arduous journey, she does. She thinks he needs her, that he is in fact, in trouble. So at no small amount of pain and suffering to herself, she returns, only to find him reasonably comfortable. He needs her help certainly, but that's only to use her gifts for his own ends (can't say more...spoiler!!! It's not as dastardly as it sounds either. He has reasonably good intentions, the greater good and all that). Then she finds out about one of the women he slept with. He apologises, but in almost the same breath sticks up for the girl, saying she's been through a lot etc, saying this to a girl he knows almost certainly has feelings for him. In his infinite wisdom. He decides it's best not to mention his other dalliance, not out right lying, but that's still not exactly going to endear him to readers.
But that's not the worst part. The worst part is that she pretty much just takes it all. She grumbles a bit, moans, but ultimately helps him out, without even a bit of shouting or throwing things...ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!!! Since when did this character become such a fucking doormat. 'No, no, you bump uglies with whomever you like, keep secrets, while I sit here day after day working tirelessly to help you not look bad when in fact I've got other stuff I need to do and that by keeping from it is actually causing me pain.' It just made me so mad that she just accepted it with so little fuss.

All in all, there were few characters who I liked, mainly because they were generally badly written and inconsistent. That's not to say the writing was bad. The descriptive stuff was fine, a bit too much for my tastes (started skipping paragraphs towards the end I thought weren't integral to the story) it was just the author's characters and their ever changing personalties to suit the story.
There was also a lot of repetition. A lot of conversations that seemed to happen more than once. I would read them thinking, 'didn't you guys already talk about this a few pages ago?' Like I mentioned earlier too, if a character had gone through some sort of trauma, we were reminded about it constantly. Now, in real life, yes, people will dwell on the past, especially the bad stuff, but you can't apply that to a book because is just gets boring. Sure, you can't have a character completely forget an event like it had never happened, that wouldn't be realistic, but a few reminders here and there is all you need. A few words, preferably different words so it makes it more readable. A quick, fleeting memory of the past triggered by something in the present. A moment of weakness where the past comes back to haunt. Not paragraphs of samey sounding recollection!!! It's a difficult balance to strike, but the great authors can do it in a way that feels effortless, natural. Everything the characters felt in this book seemed forced upon them.

Is this review even making sense?

So why three stars instead of two. Simple. Because for some bizarre reason I still needed to know what happened. There's a good story in here somewhere, a lot of it no overly original, but gripping enough to keep me reading. If the characters weren't so bad it would have got more.

Apologies for the hideous detail I go in to. It was just these things bugged me soooo much!!! Hopefully I was successful in avoiding spoilers. I honestly don't understand though how the quality has changed from the first book to this. I actually quite liked The Last Stormlord...

Annoyingly though, I will need to read the third book. I get the feeling it won't get better...

...sigh. Why do I do it to myself?

EDIT: I changed it to two stars. I'd given books I liked a lot more the same amount of stars. It didn't seem right

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The Last Stormlord by Glenda Larke
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Finally!!! A decent fantasy series I can get my teeth into. There's plenty here for everyone one to find something they like, from the intriguing story to the wealth of characters and the promise of what is to come.

The reason this didn't get five stars is because one, despite being a brilliant storyteller; not getting lost in too much pointless description or overly flowery prose, her relationship building was a little slap dash. You know it's coming, the inevitable meeting, the wondering how their relationship will begin, will they hate each other first, be indifferent, shy?!! I'll admit, I was looking forward to it, hoping for something like the awesomeness that was Damin and Adrina from the Demon Child trilogy. Unfortunately it all happened a little to fast for my tastes. One minute they meet, the next they're noticing each other, sneaking glances, feelings start being felt, then BAM...it's love...or at least they think it is. I'm not that much into romance. I'm not a fan of being promised a good story and getting a sappy love fest instead, but I will admit, I do like a bit of romance on the side. Well built, the kind that makes you smile, makes you feel like you are sharing a good secret. The relationship between Terelle and Shale just felt rushed. I didn't have time to enjoy it, saviour it. But then again there's two more books, so plenty of time for that hopefully.
So the second reason this didn't get five stars is that, as ever, I compare every fantasy I read to the aforementioned Demon Child trilogy (my favouritest EVER!!!) and while a really strong contender, this just didn't write make my blood pump, or stomach churn. But then, I don't think anything will. It came pretty darn close though.

Thank fuck though that the other two books are available, or that would've have been really annoying!!! Now bring on book 2!!!!

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Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was, all in all, a really great finale to the series. It was highly readable, had enough enough action, excitement and general plot stuff mixed in the with the romance to keep me interested without rolling my eyes. There is a simple elegance to Clare's writing that I find ridiculously enjoyable. It is easy to overlook, but I find myself thoroughly impressed, which perhaps isn't the greatest praise coming from me, but I find that a lot of YA authors tend to sacrifice their prose in favour of bland writing so they can concentrate on the story (and by that of course I mean the romance as that usually IS the story).

The reason then, that this didn't get four stars, was that there was something about the ending that just didn't sit well with me. It was all a bit too 'they all lived happily ever after'. Ok, I'll admit that without giving anything away, some characters take a bit longer than others to get their Happyily Ever After (from here on referred to HEA's), but that they all do, somehow seems to be a bit of a cop-out, a bit of a cheat. Almost like the author couldn't bring herself to choose between any of her characters, so she just didn't. I don't know, maybe it's just me. In these kind of stories there has to be a bit of suffering and sacrifice, it's what makes the HEA's more meaningful. Don't get me wrong, there was both of these things present, but they never stuck, as if the author just couldn't do it to her characters.

But on the other hand, a part of me is really happy that most of the characters got their HEA. Because some of them really did go through a lot of shit, and they did deserve it.

Ahhhh, the ending has me really torn. I really can't put my finger on how I feel about it. I am completely divided!!! Overall, I did really like the book, but that ending!! I am not a fan of time-spans being recounted in a few pages, or time jumps, so that was always going to taint my opinion slightly, but I really don't want to say any more because I would have to give away major spoilers and 1) I hate doing that and 2) it would make this review hideously long. So I will leave it here I think.

I still much prefer this series to the Mortal Instruments, which started well but should have ended three books ago...just saying. Oh and I liked the characters in this series LOADS more!!!

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Agatha H. and the Clockwork Princess by Phil Foglio
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Oh my. I was not expecting to enjoy this one as much as I did, but it was truly such an original and brilliant novel, that I couldn't help but be swept along with.

We enter right where the first one left off, but where as Agatha H and the Airship took half the book to really get going, this one steamed ahead from the first page. I feared for maybe a slight dip in the narrative, as it is about twice the size of it's predecessor, but it didn't. It kept up it's relentlessly enjoyable pace through-out, throwing so many surprises our way that it was impossible (for me at least) to know where the story was going.

I mentioned in my review of the first book how impressive the scope of the imagination that went into creating Agatha's world. I want to reiterate that point again, and again, and again, because this to me, is what Steampunk should be and what all authors should aspire to. Ok, the idea of airships, automatons, bizarre weaponry and even the fashion aren't really anything new, after all, there are hundreds of books claiming to be Steampunk, but somehow this one to me should be allowed to lay to the right to calling itself Steampunk more so than the others. Every aspect of the story bares reference to it. Every aspect of the world and the people in it, their lives are surrounded by clockwork and mad-boys tinkering with nature, science, and that to me is true Steampunk. Not an odd invention here and there, a bustle and corset teamed with a pair of goggles, but some reference to something fantastical and mad on EVERYPAGE.

Then there's the story. Oh boy, I don't even know where to begin with the story. It's just one brilliant twist after another, like I said, there's no way of telling where the plot will take us next. Agatha is such a wonderfully well rounded lead, the circus folk a motley, but delightful crew of diversity. There is fun and mystery, shocks and revelations to be had on every page. Seriously I wouldn't know where to start with describing the plot, only that it is utterly original and utterly, utterly brilliant, fantastic, stupendous, marvellous, intelligent and, and...I have run out of words, but it is sooooo worth reading!!! I have even come to love the Jagermonsters, who I moaned about in the first review. They really come in their own in this one and I actually love how they speak. It still takes a fuckin' to work out what they are saying, but it wouldn't be right now if they spoke any other way.

To sum, up I loved it, and you will too. If you decide to give the series ago, prepare yourself for a most rip-roaring adventure. Goggles on!!! (^_^)

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Agatha H. and the Airship City by Phil Foglio
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Bit worried about this one at first as I had absolutely no fucking idea what was going on or what anything was...there were a staggering amount of new concepts introduced and it felt like, as a reader, I was supposed to know what they were with little or no explanation whatsoever. I always find that kind of start to a book not only a little daunting but off putting. I'm sorry author people but I can't see inside your head and therefore if you are creating a new reality filled with odd inventions and ideas I am not familiar with, I'm gonna need a little more information. My own imagination can only do so much.

Luckily, as the story wore on things did become a bit clearer, though not necessarily because of specific descriptions, rather hints were given as to the nature of some of the things the authors were introducing us to, and bit by bit I was able to fit the pieces together to form a more accurate picture, or at least one clear enough to satisfy me. They are probably completely wrong, but oh well, give a shit!!!

Once I had a better grasp on things, the story did become much better. A lot of books will say they are steampunk, but in reailty that will turn out to be a slight exaggeration, with maybe a brief mention of a wacky device or a pair of goggles, which I'm sorry is not steampunnk, but someones poor attempt to try and and make their book more appealing to certain audiences. This book however is truly filled with all things steampunkery, and once the story really began, about a third of the way in, it became really rather enjoyable. Floating airship castles, clanks of every shape, size and purpose, constructs...so many imaginative ideas all woven together into what became a fun romp. Slightly disappointed as to the humour side of things, or lack thereof, but there were a few funny moments, the rest of the time it just felt like the authors were trying to hard.

Also, continuing on the humour side of things, as I understand it we are supposed to view the character of the Baron as a sort of ruthless overlord who will do whatever it takes to maintain the rule of his Empire. So naturally people should be afraid of him yes? But here's the thing, there was a scene early on, a confrontation between aforementioned leader and a group of his subjects. Rather than trembling in fear, what transpired was a rather odd comedy scene, with a bit of banter, a little slapstick and in general no sign of any fear from any of the characters whatsoever. The narrative felt a smidge confused. If the characters were supposed to fear him, why were they behaving like buffoons and circus clowns? But hey, that could just be me...

A few things still remain unclear, or shall we say a tad fuzzy for me. The nature of the Jagermonsters for one, are they men, beasts, machines or a mixture of all three? And the Lackya too, not 100% sure what they are. I also found the way the Jagers spoke slightly irritating. I have been taught to read words a certain way from childhood, so when you start fucking about with the spelling trying to making them sound German, it kinda stagnates the flow of the story some what as I am having to read the sentence stupidly slowly to try and figure out what, in the name of arse, they are on about. Yet I won't say it was a completely wasted effort, as this did lend a certain charm to the creatures, machines, whatever they were.

But on the whole, an enjoyable adventure> The fact that I have picked up the sequel before I had even finished and have already started should give you an idea of how much I liked this, considering the fact I am willing to dedicate more reading time to the series.

I will ask you though to excuse the slightly poor review as I have a rather nasty cold and this is about all I can manage at the moment. Thank you.

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The Demon Child Trilogy
Jennifer Fallon

Ok, so my last review was not a great one. I think it is safe to say that I didn't like it very much, at all. Even a little. But what makes me so sad about that is Jennifer Fallon is the author of the Demon Child Trilogy, which is, in my opinion, one of the greatest fantasy epics ever written. I want to share my review from Goodreads, simply because I don't want people to be put off reading it and miss something amazing.

Medalon by Jennifer Fallon
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book couldn't be any more marvelous if it tried. If you are a fan of the sweeping fantasy epic, then this really is a must read. I would try to sum up the plot but there is simply too much going on, too many realistically and brilliantly imagined characters, that there is just time in the day to express my love from them all, well, except for the ones you are supposed to hate, and my God there are some utter bastards. All I can say is that it's got lashings of humour, some wonderfully witty banter, prose that just flows of the page and enough political intrigue and betrayal to keep you shocked and gasping from start to finish. This is a book I have read many times, and will continue to read it many, many times more, the wonder of them never fading, only growing. I really can't stress enough how thoroughly fantastic this book is, and the best part is that it is but a part of an even more breath-taking series, of which there are three parts. Huzzah! And they just get better and better and better!!!

Edit: 26/1/13

Ok, I have just read this for like, the fifth time, and it never ceases to amaze me just how stunning this series truly is. It holds such a staggering wealth of detail and vision that no matter how many times you read it, it always feels like that first time, that first magical, wonderful time when every sentence holds a surprise, every character is new and fascinating and just waiting for you to get to know them, whether you will grow to love them or hate them. The overwhelming depth of the plot means that there is always something you've forgotten, some tiny detail which takes you completely by surprise and that is what helps make this series such a joy to read. Then there are the bits you do remember, and as they draw nearer you can feel your pulse racing that tiny bit faster. I don't just dip my toe into these books, I wade into them, submerge and then sink into them and become hopelessly and completely lost in their splendour. So much so, that when I return to the world, I can't help but feel a little pang of loss, that I have to re-enter this dull place, where there are no Harshini, no Demon Childs', no interfering Gods. Where the countries of Medalon, Hythria and Fardohnya and all their peoples, do not exist. It actually makes me feel a little sad, but then, I've always been a bit of a dreamer.

So it seems that I can finally say, without any doubt whatsoever, that the Demon Child series, holds my three absolute favourite books of all time. There I said it. I can't pick a favourite song or movie, animal or food, but I can say with a certainty that I have never felt before, that I love these books more than any other. For me there will probably be no better, though I will continue searching for one that may take their crown. An endeavour I can't help but feel, will be more than a little pointless.

I just hope that everyone can find that special book, the one that no matter how many times they pick it up off the shelf, they still feel the tinglings of excitment and awe at knowing that no matter how you feel or what mood you're in, you will find that perfect escape and everything you are looking inside. A book that you simply can't believe or understand how anyone could think they are anything but amazing.

To me, these books are flawless, and be damned anyone who thinks otherwise.


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The Chaos Crystal by Jennifer Fallon
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

The most infuriating ending to a series EVER!!! My God I don't think I've ever been so disappointed, mainly because I know the author is capable of amazing things a but also because this was just ridiculously sub par!! It's shocking to think that the author of this is the same woman who gave us the staggeringly brilliant and epic Demon Child Trilogy. I feel like crying. Never did I think I would be giving this kind of review to a book by Jennifer Fallon. But I cannot lie, as much as the truth pains me. Here we go.

So, the specifics. Firstly, for a properly published novel, there were a ridiculous amount of errors. Not so much the grammatical, though there were a few extra words here and there. No, this book had the sort of mistakes that really shouldn't have made it to final print. Full stops and commas in the wrong places, words given capital letters after commas...it gave off the impression that the book was still in the drafting stage. Not what I would expect from a novel printed and published by a quite well known publishing house.

Then there was the writing. Now I'm going to be mentioning a bit, but one of my favourite series EVER, is the Demon Child trilogy by the same author. It is quite simply spectacular. So I know what this author is capable of. Her prose might not be elegant or lyrical but it is extremely gripping and ridiculously readable. But in this series, it's like she's lost her touch. Nothing really flowed. I got the overwhelming impression that perhaps the authors heart wasn't really in it. Maybe she had her mind on other things and wasn't solely focused, but again, it felt like the story was still in it's early stages of development. The author had got as far as laying down the basic story, but was waiting to go back through it with a fine tooth comb to add the wit and sparkle that I know she can produce when it accidently got printed before it was finished.

And my God, did she repeat herself a lot. I wish I had counted the amount of times we were reminded that Immortals don't feel the cold. Every flippin' paragraph there would be a mention of the weather and without fail she'd pop in a little reminder, just in case we'd forgotten. We are not morons!! There were other occasions as well too numerous for me to go through them all, but in some cases the repetition would come in the same goddamn sentence. That's the only reason why this book's as long as it is, because it's just the same points made over and over again.

The characters weren't up to her usual standard either and I can't help but feel that the author thinks that the only way a female character can be strong is if they had some sort of shady past that either involves being raped or selling themselves. Which is so completely and utterly WRONG!!!

And the problem with Arkady, the female lead, is that despite the fact that we were supposed to see her as a strong, independent, intelligent woman, she was actually anything but. I can only speculate, but if a woman sold herself to men the way Arkady did, rather than go on and on about it whenever we were reading from her perspective, she'd be so ashamed of herself that she'd want to push the memories from her mind and never think about them again. She's supposed to proud, unwilling to submit to the men that would govern and rule her, a scientist full of curiosity and brimming with her own ideas and opinions, but the amount of times she seems to think the only way to get herself out of trouble is to offer up her body, is just ridiculous. If she's supposed to be so smart, surely she could have figured out other ways to outsmart these stupid men that all seem to lust after her. To me she came across as weak willed and a bit of an attention seeker. 'Oh poor me, look at all the bad things that have happened to me, feel sorry for me and love me and think I'm wonderful because I've managed to persevere,' blah, blah, blah. It got seriously boring, ridiculously quickly. In the end I just wanted to smack her for being so pathetic and spineless.

WARNING MAJOR SPOILERS ALERT DO NOT CONTINUE IF YOU HAVE NOT READ THIS BOOK YET AS I GIVE AWAY QUITE A LOT OF THE ENDING!!!!

(view spoiler)[Then there's the ending. Oh boy, what an ending, and not in a good way. We've spent four books in the world Amyrantha, getting to know the cultures of all the different nations. Then there's the sheer number of characters, all whose stories we've followed and personalities we've got to know. Despite the many flaws of the female lead, there were a few that had really grown on me.

So when she killed them off all bar a handful, it came as quite a shock. And I'm not just talking about the characters she killed off. The author destroyed the entire planet. THE ENTIRE. PLANET!!! What was the point of me reading all of those frickin' books when you're just going to blow them up? When I think of all the hours I spent it makes me want to rip my hair out, then cry, then throw things.

And that's not the worst part. All through the series, we've had the ongoing saga of who Arkady was going to choose, her childhood friend or the charming if suicidal Immortal Prince? I spent four books reading as Arkady kept bouncing from one to other. At one point I thought maybe she was going to stick two fingers up the pair of them and tell them were to shove it, which whilst being slightly irritating, would have made a refreshing change. But oh no, the author had something really special in store. There was no final showdown, no final choice and happy ending. In fact we get diddly-fucking-squat. Nothing. By the end of the book, to two blokes haven't seen Arkady in a while, shall we say. I'm still waiting for the fateful meeting between the three, but it never comes. At the end of the book, they still haven't spoken to her, she still hasn't made her choice. In fact, and this is a ridiculously major plot spoiler, Arkady has spent the last few million years stuck in a magical spell induced paralysis trapped in a meteor that was once a part of Amyranthia IN SPACE. IN FUCKING SPACE!!!!! In the last few chapters we find out the Immortals are now inhabiting Earth and apparently have them to thank for wiping out the dinosaurs and quite possible for the climate being well and truly buggered! WHATTHEFUCK?!!!!!! (hide spoiler)]

The ending was just beyond ridiculous. It was frustrating, unsatisfying and quite honestly, just plain crap. Ahhhhh, it still makes me angry. The main problem? The author leaves it completely open, as if she's going to back to it and continue the story. WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT? I'VE JUST HAD TO READ FOUR BOOKS WORTH OF POOR WRITING, TYPOS AND IRRITATING CHARACTERS, FOR AN ENDING THAT'S A COMPLETE AND UTTER LET DOWN AND YOU'RE EXPECTING ME TO READ MORE?...NOT A FUCKING CHANCE.

In conclusion if you are thinking of starting this series DON'T. Read the Demon Child Trilogy instead, it's miles better than this!!!!








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Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

OK, so if I was to have given this book a rating halfway through, it would not have been 4 stars as it was a real muddle. As far I could see there was no real plot, beyond the fact that Bitterblue was trying to unravel and uncover the secrets left behind from King Leck's (her father) reign.

Which is fine, I do love a bit of mystery and secret unravelling, but the things Bitterblue was investigating seemed to have no real correlation. Nothing seemed to connect or fit together which made me wonder why Bitterblue was investigating them to begin with. They were just plain random and there seemed to be no real starting point for where Bitterblue could begin her investigations and she ended up just going round in circles. Plus there was the fact that everyone seemed slightly unhinged. Which was a triumph if the author was trying to give the impression of a castle full of people not quite all there and poor Bitterblue stuck in the middle. It worked. but it made for a rather confusing narrative. Paragraphs would jump from one subject to another, conversations too would make little sense, though at times it seemed that the characters knew what they were talking about even if I didn't. It made the whole experience confusing and very hard to follow. But again, if we were supposed to be experiencing events as Bitterblue, then the author got it spot on, because I knew exactly how she felt. I had no frickin' idea what was going on, most of the time.

But then about halfway, there was a breakthrough, a wonderful and deeply satisfying breakthrough. Mysteries began to come together and resolve themselves. Plots that you thought bore no relation to anything, suddenly found themselves making sense, and linked in perfectly with other elements of the plot. The conversations still puzzled me every now an then, lots of instances when Bitterblue would be thinking one thing, but then say something in a completely different vein. There was much head scratching as I tried to figure it out. There was also a strange insult involving whether or not someone's child would be born with ears...yeah, that still makes no sense to me at all.

If the author had intended to confuse the crap out of us, so we could empathise with Bitterblue and the madness left in her fathers wake, to then reveal all in that wonderfully gratifying way, then, my hats of to you Kristen Cashore, you executed it perfectly!!! I shared so my of Bitterblue's confusion, then her pain and sadness when certain truths came to light.

Bitterblue herself was a character of depth and emotion. Of all Kristen's heroines, she is my favourite, with the right mix of characteristics and traits to make her believably human, her wish to believe in the people she surrounded herself with but also the ability to do the right thing, no matter how hard, was incredibly endearing. The poor girl goes through a lot, but never in that self pitying way. She struggles through, and we the reader, along with her. She has guts and gumption by the bucket load, but thus is perfectly offset with a vulnerability and a need for her life to be filled with the people she loves, yet still be able to let them go when she has to. Her drive to do something with her life and to right the wrongs done by her father truly make her a wonderful, delightful and inspiring character to read.

By the end of the book, I was well and truly hooked. When the threads came together they created something quite marvellous. This is, in my opinion, Kristen Cashore's best. I loved Fire, thought Graceling was OK, but Bitterblue was something else all together. I just hope that whatever she gives us next, whether another in this series (yes please XD) or something new, I hope she does it soon!!!

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Touch of Power by Maria V. Snyder
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Wahhhhh why? Why Maria would you do this to me? I love your books, all of them (though admittedly some more than others) but this?!!! I cannot speak, I am too overcome with all consuming disappointment....

...ok I'm done now. So that was a little over-dramatic and ever so slightly misleading. This book wasn't bad, in fact to most people this would probably prove to be a really worthwhile and rewarding endeavour. For me alas, this book held nothing new. I have read it before. It was called Poison Study, and was the authors first and best book to date.

The similarities are unfortunately many, from almost carbon copies of a number of characters to relationships developing in much the same fashion. For example, in Avry we have a new Yelena, Valek has been renamed, Kerrick. Even Ari and Janco (can't remember his name) make and appearance as Quain and Loren. As much as I liked the characters in Poison Study, I was hoping for something new, in fact I was expecting it, as the author has never let me down in the past.

Then we have the relationships. We have comradery of the dominantly male group, which harks to the bromantic affections Ari and Janco show to Yelena. The most notable similarity though, lies between the two leads. They begin hating each other with a passion (which was way too forced), then once they to get know each other, inevitably and unsurprisingly, feelings start to change. Shock!! There was one difference between this and Poison Study on the relationship and that was that I saw this blooming admiration coming a mile off. There was no subtlety, the characters quite stupid in their obliviousness to their feelings and of each others. Which was to say, devastating, as one of the reasons I loved Poison Study so much was the unpredictability of the relationships.

Not everything in in these two books was the same (as mentioned above). Where Poison Study had a plot that was both engaging and exciting, Touch of Power was sadly lacking. All they did was wander about and camp in caves. Every now and then they would get into some spot of trouble, but before long, they would be back to camping in caves. What we did see of the plot was brief and rather unsatisfying. I feel that if we had stepped away from the characters for two seconds, it could have been promising, but instead it was just a bit odd and random. Hopefully more will be explained in later volumes.

There was also a rather Mills and Boonish feel to the whole thing. A certain cheesyness that I found difficult to ignore. What with Kerrick and Avry's relationship being blindingly obvious, there was also a bit too much 'damsel-in-distressing' for my liking, which was at odds with Avry's personality. The end especially, when we are introduced to a fellow who pretty much wants to own Avry, claim her for himself, mostly just so Kerrick couldn't have her. It was just a bit bodice rippery, not in a graphic 'fifty shades' kind of way. I mean the guy pretty much brainwashes her into wanting him, controls her with his magic so she is powerless to resist him. And he's such a control freak. He goes ape shit when she doesn't wear the dress he picked out for her. What?!!!! I spent most of my time rolling my eyes whilst reading and truthfully, I'm finding it hard to explain exactly what it was that didn't sit well with me, without giving too much away (I fear I may have already said too much). The whole thing just seemed too contrived and pandering to the assumption that all females have fantasies of being dominated and rescued whilst pretending to be strong and feisty. Oh yeah, and the bad guy kept calling her 'my dear'. All. The. God. Damn. Time. It got VERY ANNOYING.

Everything was a bit too stereotypical and there wasn't much in the way of originality. It may seem like I am being way too harsh on this, but it's only because of how highly I rate Maria as an author. It is killing me having to say these things. Her stories usually inspire and shock and delight, but this one did none of those things, mainly because it held no surprises. If you are undecided as to whether to read this, I would say that if you have read Poison Study, then I wouldn't bother, you will find nothing knew here. If you haven't, then go read that instead!!

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Soulless by Gail Carriger
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Oh I so needed this. It was fun, silly, a bit daft, but in a way that was utterly fabulous. I was reading this at work, and I don't mean on my lunch break. I mean while I should have been working. I would walk passed it, read a couple of pages, do a lap of the shop and come back again. I got to chapter 5 and thought bugger it, this is just too good, I must devour within two days, AND I DID!!!!

I generally avoid books that deal with vampires and werewolves. Because they are boring. And unoriginal. And generally just suck ginormous balls. But not this one. Everything is done very tongue and cheek, the outrageously gay and flamboyant vampire with interesting tastes in attire springs to mind. I had a particular fondness for a certain gruff and oh-so-manly werewolf (the fact that he was Scottish helped >.<) and the female lead Alexia, who was a scandal just waiting to happen but glorious in her feistiness and unwillingness to back down. Their relationship had me laughing and smiling so much my face ached. I do love a good bit of old fashioned bickering and those two squabbled like the best of them.

I really can't stress enough how much I enjoyed this. Carriger has the rapier wit and writing style of a master. Every sentence was an absolute joy to read and perfectly crafted with charm and flair. If I wasn't tripping over my own fingers in my haste to write this review, there's a slim chance I'd actually be able to do this justice, but alas I can't because I loved this book so much my brain is having trouble forming sentences due to the fact that it has melted into a gooey puddle of happiness!!! YAY

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The Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is one of those unassuming books that sneaks up on you and without realising it you've got only 4 chapters left.

After reading the premise I wasn't sure what to expect. My first thought was 'disaster movie'. The big action, bigger explosions race against time to save the world type bonanza. What I got however, was something rather different. The focus of the story it not the disaster itself. It's about the people that are living through it, one family in particular.

What really struck me was that, once the 'invisible catastrophe' had stuck, people just carried on. People went to work, kids went to school. The world didn't descend into chaos. I am an avid reader of dystopian fiction where, after some sort of devastating event, the world collapses, democracy fails, people panic, viruses spread. Yet here, there's an almost calm. Yes there's panic with each new and disturbing effect of 'the slowing', but there is still a sense of normalcy. As if, if we stopped doing all the things we usually do, that's when the world falls apart. And this is what is so brilliant about this book, what the author has done so well. Regardless of your opinions of human beings as a species, and though there is nothing out there really to compare us to, you cannot deny we have an amazing ability to adapt and to develop and to survive. That's what the author captures so well in her book. That no matter how many minutes the days are growing by, no matter how 'the slowing' is dividing a population, killing crops etc, people keep going.

In Julia, we have woman retelling her story of what it was like in those first few months when the world was beginning to change. She is going through 'the age of miracles', that time in a kids life when they start changing, start noticing things and thinking differently. So not only is she in a tumultuous time in her young life, worrying about the weird things happening to her body, her friends, boys, she has do it all with the uncertainty of whether or not she, or the rest of humanity, is going to get a future. There are a lot of dramas that unfold. Occurrences that happen in normal every day life, yet throughout Julia keeps asking herself, 'would these things be happening if the world were not changing'. How different would her life be if there wasn't this huge, looming shadow hanging over them all? You find yourself being drawn into Julia's life, captivating in it's seeming mundanity, yet as always the threat of the unknown hovering like a bad smell. The mixture of the ordinary and the extraordinary makes for an intriguing and compelling mix. It lulls you to the extent that if it wasn't for the reminders of how the world was changing, you would forget that anything momentous and potentially disastrous was happening. And that's what was so good. The author didn't make the disaster the star of the show, rather it took on a more supporting role. Though that being said, at the same time during the narrative, we would be following Julia as she drifted through another day of school, an awkward girl shy and unsure, when we would get a sudden and shocking reminder of the state of the planet. Yet it never felt messy, two different styles at war with each other. The author pulled them together beautifully, the stark reality all the more powerful when settled amongst the living of every days lives.

This truly is a marvel of a novel. It's not brash or loud. It doesn't try to shock you in ways that are over the top and flashy. What it does is show you a normal family living through unimaginable circumstances, and that all the preparation in the world can't prepare you for everything.

What is really the most remarkable thing of all though is that not only did I read it, but I thoroughly enjoyed it as usually I avoid disaster stories like the plague, as in the majority of cases they scare me shitless, because these things could actually frickin' happen people!!!!

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