Book Review: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel: The Alchemyst

Title: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel: The Alchemyst

Author: Michael Scott

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Genre: Fantasy

Page Count: 369

Rating: 2.9 out of 5

Cover Rating: 4.5 out of 5. I love the font and all the symbols, since it gives it an aura of magic and mystery.

Inside flap:

He holds the secret that can end the world.
The truth: Nicholas Flamel was born in Paris on September 28, 1330. Nearly seven hundred years later, he is acknowledged as the greatest Alchemyst of his day. It is said that he discovered the secret of eternal life.   The records show that he died in 1418.   But his tomb is empty.
The legend: Nicholas Flamel lives. But only because he has been making the elixir of life for centuries. The secret of eternal life is hidden within the book he protests--the Book of Abraham the Mage. It's the most powerful book that has ever existed. In the wrong hands, it will destroy the world.   That's exactly what Dr. John Dee plans to do when he steals it. Humankind won't know what's happening until it's too late. And if the prophecy is right, Sophie and Josh Newman are the only ones with the power to save the world as we know it.
Sometimes the legends are true.
   And Sophie and Josh Newman are about to find themselves in the middle of the greatest legend of all time.

My expectations: I wanted to love this book. The cover was great, I'd seen this series all over in libraries and bookstores, and it sounded like a really well-written MG/YA Fantasy.


Sadly, I cannot say I really enjoyed it.

About the book: The Alchemyst had a lot of things going for it--a good set of characters, it played on some interesting ideas, and was fairly original, but I found there were a lot of problems and things that bugged me. The writing style was one of them: there wasn't really anything I could pinpoint and say "Aha! There's your problem". It was more like the whole thing disagreed with me.

• Plot:

It felt too discombobulated and muddled; it was either moving too fast or too slow or things were all too confusing. Even the beginning had me skeptical, since at that point a.) I was not invested in the characters b.) It felt like I'd been dropped into the middle of a series, which was especially disappointing since this is the first book and c.) People weren't making sense decision-wise.

• Characters:

I never got a sense of urgency from these characters. They ran for their lives, they went through a lot of action, but I never felt my heart speed up at their predicament. Mostly I just felt mild irritation that they were gallivanting off on some other scheme which didn't make sense to me. Furthermore, I couldn't get attached to the characters themselves--the brother in particular. I kept wanting to smack him. The antagonist also felt unrealistic.

• Setting/Elements:

I would have liked more backstory. In some places there were infodumps meant to help give the characters information about what was happening, but many of them were infuriating because they sounded improbable, or because the main characters reacted to them strangely. I did like the world the story is set in, though; it had potential.

Other: I can't recall anything. There's a bit of violence here and there, but it's not gory or anything.

Do I recommend this book? Unfortunately, no. While the setting was interesting and the concept was unique, the execution was not as well done. I'd suggest trying another Fantasy series if you want a really good read.

-----The Golden Eagle

Terry Pratchett Month: Book Review: The Color of Magic

Title: The Color of Magic
Author: Terry Pratchett
Published: 1983
Page Count: 210 (paperback)
Cover Rating: I'm hard-pressed to say whether I like this version better than the other one, which I believe is the original UK cover (see HERE). The suitcase is nice, but it's a little too red. The one I really like, though, is this one.
Rating: 4.2 out of 5

Summary (from Goodreads):

On a world supported on the back of a giant turtle (sex unknown), a gleeful, explosive, wickedly eccentric expedition sets out. There's an avaricious but inept wizard, a naive tourist whose luggage moves on hundreds of dear little legs, dragons who only exist if you believe in them, and of course THE EDGE of the planet . . .

 
My Thoughts: A strong start to the Discworld series. I cannot say it's my favorite book in the series, compared to the other few I've read, but it's still a fun ride. Rincewind was quite funny, the tourist Twoflower was amazingly naive yet still managed (somehow) to survive, and the plot took plenty twists and turns along the way.

Other: References, some violence.

Verdict: Worth the read, and (fittingly enough, being the first book in the series) a good place to start on Discworld. Recommended.


-----The Golden Eagle

Book Review: Pride and Prejudice and Zombies

Title: Pride and Prejudice and Zombies

Authors: Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith

Publisher: Quirk Books

Genre: Romance/Action/Mashup/Adult/Classic

Page Count: 317 (paperback)

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Cover Rating: 4.8 out of 5. It fits the book quite well, and I just love the fact that it takes time (even if it's just a fraction of a second) to notice that there's something wrong with the picture.

Back cover:

"It is a truth universally acknowledged that a zombie in possession of brains must be in want of more brains." 

So begins Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, an expanded edition of the beloved Jane Austen novel featuring all-new scenes of bone-crunching zombie mayhem. As our story opens, a mysterious plague has falle upon the quiet English village of Meryton--and the dead are returning to life! Feisty heroine Elizabeth Bennet is determined to wipe out the zombie menace, but she's soon distracted by the arrival of the haughty and arrogant Mr. Darcy. What ensues is a delightful comedy of manners with plenty of civilized sparring between the two young lovers--and even more violent sparring on the blood-soaked battlefieled. Can Elizabeth vanquish the spawn of Satan? And overcome the social prejudices of the class-conscious landed gentry? Complete with romance, heartbreak, swordfights, cannibalism, and thousands of rotting corpses, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies transforms a masterpiece of world literature into something you'd actually want to read.

My expectations: I expected it to be a bit violent, but otherwise funny; I read Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters before this, and enjoyed it.

I have to say I like Pride and Prejudice and Zombies a lot more than I do Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters.

About the book: Now, I don't know if you think this is sacrilege or stupidity (or both) but I just look at it as fun. I am not a huge fan of Jane Austen; the fact she was a woman, did not marry, and wrote books is impressive for her times, but I still don't particularly like her novels. So, I just had to pick up Pride and Prejudice and Zombies to see what they turned the original book into.

I, for one, thought it was quite amusing. There are humorous changes, (for example, the way they substituted references to weaponry and fighting off zombies instead of finding husbands), the characters are great, (I didn't like Elizabeth Bennet or Mr. Darcy much in Pride and Prejudice, but loved them in this version), and while the zombie violence did get a bit gruesome at points, it's not terrible, and the way they integrated it with high-society was funny.

Writing: The writing follows Austen's original work all except for action scene and context. Also, some things that happen in the original story are changed so that, instead, they are caused by attacks, fights, duels, zombies, etc. That's all Grahame-Smith's work--the whole idea of the book is based on the twists and turns he made within the original story.

• Plot:

Things turn out the way they do in Pride and Prejudice, except the causes can often be traced to zombies, often in a humorous way.

• Characters:

As I mentioned, I like Elizabeth much better in this book. She's stronger, determined, and has much more spunk than the Elizabeth in Pride and Prejudice.

Mr. Darcy said many of the same things that he said in the original at the start, with few changes but that turned itself around further along in the book; again, I enjoyed his character a lot in this version.

Other characters were pretty much the same: humorously altered to fit the theme.

• Setting/Elements:

The culture is different. One important thing I thought stuck out was the fact more power is given to women in Pride and Prejudice and Zombies--for example, Elizabeth has been trained at the Chinese martial arts temple of Shaolin and is in service to the King of England, and her sisters have been trained to fight; I loved the fact they could stand on their own and didn't pay so much attention to social restraints. Instead of sitting by, what they're supposed to be doing is, actually, slaying zombies and defending the English people. Go, Bennets!

Other: Violence, references.

IF they every get the movie off the ground, you can bet I'll probably be checking it out.

Do I recommend this book? Yes--provided you don't mind zombies, or the fact they changed so much of a classic, Jane Austen book.

-----The Golden Eagle

Book Review: The Ring of Solomon

Title: The Ring of Solomon

Author: Jonathan Stroud

Publisher: Hyperion Books

Genre: Fantasy/Adventure/Humor

Page Count: 398

Rating: 5 out of 5

Cover Rating: 4.5 out of 5. I love this cover! The only thing that prevented me from giving it a 5 was the fact it is a teensy bit spoilery, if you take it literally. Which I tend to do. (THIS COVER is also cool, but the gargoyle is rather grotesque.)

Inside flap:

It is 950 B.C.E., and King Solomon rules Jerusalem with a steely hand; a hand on which gleams a magic ring of immense and unforgiving power. Solomon has just begun to work on his marvelous temple, charging Khaba, a formidable magician in his royal court, to oversee its construction. The workforce is an ill-behaved bunch of demons, a particularly unruly djinni names Bartimaeus among them. True to form, Bartimaeus promptly gets kicked off the temple project and assigned the even more miserable task of hunting bandits in the desert. There he crosses paths with Asmira, a highly skilled and loyal captain of the Queen of Sheba's guard, on a suicidal mission to save her country from Solomon's imminent attack. Of course, Bartimaeus has no intention of helping her. That is, until Asmira makes him an offer he cannot refuse . . .

My expectations: High. I LOVE The Bartimaeus Trilogy, and I expected a lot from this prequel.

My expectations were met, and even exceeded in some ways.

About the book: I love Bartimaeus. He is one of the funniest, most endearing characters in the Fantasy books I've read, and definitely the best dijinni. I found the historical setting in this book quite interesting, along with the portrayal of both the Queen of Sheba and King Solomon and the whole culture across that area.

The writing style is great--Jonathan Stroud writes well, and as with all Bartimaeus books, the little footnotes that serve as wisecracks are definitely a bonus, even if the reader has to keep glancing down at the bottom of the page. For some authors that would be a drawback, but for Stroud it certainly isn't.

• Plot:

Fast, and there are several unexpected twists--it never lagged, and the ending wound up everything well.

• Characters:

Bartimaeus, as I have mentioned, is quite funny. You get a lot of his character in this book, from the dancing hippo (I cracked up at that part) to the banter with his fellow djinni.

Asmira was a determined, and strong girl. She does what she has to do to accomplish her mission. I didn't really like her at the start, but by the end of the book I did. She changes throughout the story, even though it doesn't span that much time.


Khaba is an excellent antagonist. Evil, cunning, and power-driven, he has all the right stuff. Or, rather, wrong stuff. He knows what he wants and he'll do anything from torture to killing to get it, and is a formidable enemy.

• Setting/Elements:

The setting--historical figures, warriors, demons, magic--is fascinating, and something unique; it's nice to be able to read something that's put in a setting different from a lot of other books.

Other: Violence, (bandits, assassins, etc.), but that's really about it.

Do I recommend this book? Absolutely!

-----The Golden Eagle

Book Review: The Kneebone Boy

Title: The Kneebone Boy

Author: Ellen Potter

Publisher: Feiwel and Friends

Genre: Paranormal/MG/YA(? Could fit in either age group, really. I just found it in the YA section of my library.)

Page Count: 280

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Cover Rating: 5 out of 5. I love the people on the front--they fit the characters in the story perfectly, and I do mean perfectly. (At least in my mind.) The colors are dark, which fits the whole atmosphere of the story, and the way the three siblings are looking straight at you matches their attitude. It's also creepy; notice that there are feet dangling down from the tree and that the cat has five legs.

Inside flap:

The Hardscrabble children are weird.Otto doesn't speak.Lucia is shamelessly candid.
And Max likes to sit on the roof of their house. 

Life in a small town can be pretty boring when everyone avoids you like the plague. But after their father unwittingly sends them to stay with an aunt who's away on holiday, the children take off on an adventure that ends in a peculiar season village where legend has it a monstrous creature lives who is half boy and half animal . . .

My expectations: Because of the cover, because of the intriguing blurb, and because I love Author Bio on the back flap, I expected a lot out of this book.


It went beyond my expectations.

About the book: Love. The characters are great, plot moves fast, and there's just something wonderfully mysterious about the whole book--it has a kind of charm that doesn't come up very often in YA literature.


The writing style is funny and quirky, and one of the more interesting things about it? The author actually states that she's breaking writing rules several times. There are instances where she'll explain that her English teacher told her NOT to do this and that, and then she'll proceed to do those very things. Usually, they would get in the way of the story, but the way it's presented is just so funny.

• Plot:

There's a lot of mystery in this book. Their father goes off to--supposedly--paint portraits of royalty, their mother walked off one day and disappeared, people avoid them, and there are a lot of questions to be answered. At the beginning it also says the protagonists in the story hired the author to write it; that in itself marks it as something a little more individual.

The only thing I didn't really like is the ending. It's not bad, per se, but it's strange. I would have rated The Kneebone Boy a 5 out of 5 if the ending was different.

• Characters:

Lucia (pronounced lu-CHEE-a) is my favorite character, aside from Otto. She's headstrong and determined, she's got lots of spunk, and she's strong when she needs to be.


Otto was quiet, but he was smart under that silence and a very intriguing character--the questions that come up at the beginning of the story are Why does he wear a scarf all the time? Why doesn't he speak? What does he really know about their mother? and it all serves to pull the reader in further.

Max was a great kid. Usual little-brother attitude, with his need to impress and show his older siblings that he can actually do things, but he was well-meaning and I he was very perceptive about many things.

• Setting/Elements:

I love the setting in this book. It's strange, a little creepy, and mysterious which I love.

Other: Nothing. The ending was a bit strange, but, as far as I can recall, there were no references, there was no language, (if there was it was mild) and there isn't any violence.

Do I recommend this book? Yes! I highly recommend this book.

-----The Golden Eagle

Book Review: Faerie Wars

Title: Faerie Wars

Author: Herbie Brennan

Publisher: Bloomsbury

Genre: Fantasy/Adventure

Page Count: 368

Rating: 4 out of 5

Cover Rating: 3.8 out of 5. It's interesting, although I think they could have made it a little less blue and kind of girly, because I think this book would appeal to teens from both genders.

Back Cover:

There was nothing on the paperback about the contents; I picked it up because I am always on the lookout for a good faerie book that doesn't involve excessive romance and because Eoin Colfer (the author of my all-time favorite series Artemis Fowl) said that "Faerie Wars is an outstanding blend of fantasy, mythology, and science." Well. I trust his judgement. Also, VOYA, SLJ, Booklist, The Guardian, The NYTBR, and Kirkus all thought it was great.

My expectations: Obviously, I had pretty high expectations.


They weren't quite met, but I have to say I really enjoyed this book anyway.

About the book: Faerie Wars is an interesting mix. It said on the cover (somewhere among those rave reviews) that it was funny, but I found the humor fell flat for me; that isn't to say I didn't find it unamusing. I found it more quirky and interesting than funny. It was kind of like The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, in some ways, with the characters and the plot going in all different directions and strange things happening at every turn.


The writing style was unlike any other I've come across. Herbie Brennan has, according to Wikipedia, written over 100 books, fiction and nonfiction, so it's not like it was a debut novel or anything like that--I couldn't really tell. I like his style, either way.

• Plot:

There are a lot of narratives, in this book and in the other books in the series. I got confused a few times, but remembered who they were pretty soon after I noticed they were talking to so-and-so. Brennan is good at cliffhangers as well--it was infuriating at times, but they certainly were effective in keeping me turning the pages to the next scene. Overall, the plot was strong and moved fast.

• Characters:

I kept getting confused as to how old Henry (the MC) was. Sometimes I thought he was more like 11, and other times there were references that indicated someone more like 14. I think he's actually the latter, although some of his thoughts/reactions didn't quite fit that idea. I never really got attached to Henry.

I liked Pyrgus more. He was more interesting, frankly. I liked his spunk and, at the same time, his compassion. He had a strong character, and many of the things he did were well-meaning, even if they didn't always work out in the end.

Holly was independent and determined. Sister of Pyrgus, she was headstrong and refused to let anyone push her around just because she was a girl. She was smart, too--she controls the Emperor's spy network--and probably my favorite out of the trio.

• Setting/Elements:

I love Fantasy, and the world in this book is amazing. Fairies, portals, demons, magic, and excellent villains made the surroundings in which the story takes place highly enjoyable to read about.

Other: References, (which is why I think Henry was older than he originally seemed), some language, and violence.

Do I recommend this book? Yes!

-----The Golden Eagle

Book Review: The Maze Runner

Title: The Maze Runner

Author: James Dashner

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Genre: Dystopian/Contemporary/Adventure/YA

Page Count: 374 (paperback)

Rating: 4.3 out of 5

Cover Rating: 4 out of 5. It's good--I like the green and the font is nice and big--but aside from the spikes I find it kind of boring.

Back flap:

Everything is going to change . . .

When Thomas wakes up in the lift, the only thing he can remember is his first name. He has no recollection of his parents, his home, or how he got where he is. His memory is empty.

   But he's not alone. When the lift's doors open, Thomas finds himself surrounded by kids who welcome him to the Glade, a large expanse enclosed by stone walls.

   Just like Thomas, the Gladers don't know why or how they got to the Glade. All they know is that every morning, for as long as anyone can remember, the stone doors to the maze that surrounds them have opened. Every night, for just as long, they've closed tight. Everything thirty days a new boy is delivered in the lift. And no one wants to be stuck in the maze after dark.

   The Gladers were expecting Thomas's arrival. But the next day, a girl is sent up--the first girl ever to arrive in the Glade. And more surprising yet is the message she delivers. The Gladers have always been convinced that if they can solve the maze that surrounds the Glade, they might find their way home . . . wherever that may be. But it's looking more and more as if the Maze is unsolvable.

   And something about the girl's arrival is starting to make Thomas feel different. Something is telling him that he just might have some answers--if he can only find a way to retrieve the dark secrets locked within his own mind.

My expectations: I'd heard a lot about this book, and almost everything was positive, so I expected a fast-paced, exciting read at the least.


That's what I got.

About the book: The Maze Runner is an interesting book. The idea that a large group of boys would be stuck in a maze that appears to be unsolvable is a perfect recipe for intriguing results. For some reason, this book creeped me out a bit, when even some Horror books don't. There was something disturbing about the Glade and the Maze.


I like James Dashner's writing style. It's to the point and there isn't excessive description. I thought that the emotions were highlighted somewhat more than what's usual, with swings from one emotion to the other and back again from Thomas's POV, but it wasn't a bad thing.

• Plot: 

I guessed the ending. Well, I didn't guess everything, but since I knew there was a book called The Scorch Trials--please, if you're going to release a sequel, don't give things away from the previous novel!--and since Thomas kept making promises and saying he'd do things . . . it all kind of led up to the ending. But aside from that, it was a fairly fast plot that kept me reading much too late. (Hehe.)

• Characters:

I felt throughout like I was in the mind of someone in their  mid- to later- 20s, past a "young adult", and maybe parent-age. He seemed almost condescending at times toward the other boys, and I got the feeling had more experience than everyone else, and not just knowledge. I wouldn't say I liked him; but I respected him for what he did.

Teresa didn't do much in The Maze Runner besides act as an anomaly. I didn't get attached to her, I didn't hate her, I just felt like her character was kind of flat. Yes, she had answers and information, and that was intriguing, but her personality could have shone through a bit more.

Gally was an interesting antagonist. Stereotypical bully at first, but then it comes out that he might just have other motives that seeing Thomas as a threat to his social status. He was an angry and creepy person, and why he did things was unknown to Thomas and the others--a good thing for a bad guy/villain.

• Setting/Elements:

I expected it to be a whole lot more like Lord of the Flies, with the kids there trying to tear each other apart and get to the top of the social ladder. However, things got nowhere near as nasty and violent as in the book by Golding. I suppose that's because things were fairly controlled inside the Glade, without much change--until Thomas arrived, of course.

Other: Violence, language, (made-up words that are clear substitutes for s%#* and so on; if that's worse or better than using the actual words depends on how you look at it) and "thematic elements" (I suppose that's what you'd call it).


They're making a movie of this book--I hope they don't botch it up.

Do I recommend this book? Yes.

*****

In other book news, I will have an interview here on January 20th with a character from The Treasures of Carmelidrium, the Fantasy novel recently released as an e-book, and written by N. R. Williams! Don't forget to come back to check it out. :)

(Also don't forget you can ask me questions in the post below, or HERE, which I will answer on January 21st!)

-----The Golden Eagle

Book Review: The Cup of the World

Title: The Cup of the World

Author: John Dickinson

Publisher: David Fickling Books

Genre: Fantasy

Page Count: 419

Rating: 3.9 out of 5

Cover Rating: 4 out of 5. I like it--it says Fantasy to me.

Inside flap:

On the eight day of the New Year, wait for me in this place on the eighth hour after noon. If I come in that hour, I shall give you what help I can. If I do not, I cannot help you at all.

Phaedra, daughter of the Warden of Trant, puts her trust in a man she has only met in dreams. He can see far, speak far, and pass where no man should be able to pass. With him she may escape to a new beginning, as the Kingdom collapses into war.

But why should he choose to help her?

And what price has he paid for his power?

My expectations: Average. I started a book by Peter Dickinson--who is Robin McKinley's husband--and couldn't finish it, but I love McKinley's work; I wasn't really sure what to expect from this book besides Fantasy.


My expectations were exceeded.

About the book: I enjoyed this book, despite not liking the characters or the events.


How, then, did I manage to like this book? Because the writing style is excellent, and I have to admire John Dickinson's command of language. I love the setting, and the rest of the Fantasy aspect of this book. The plot is complex, something I appreciate nowadays since so many books have a transparent plot with loose ends and holes. The characters, while I did not like them as people since many of them had questionable aims and motives, were realistic and 3-dimensional.

• Plot:

This book is full of subtlety; little things that if you don't pay attention to, you will lose track of what happens later on. I love that kind of plot--it keeps me thinking and I found myself turning the pages quickly once I had gotten beyond 70 pages or so.

• Characters:

Phaedra, the main character, is a mix of naivete, intelligence, and a rebellious nature. On one side, she wants to have her freedom and independence--she wants to be her own person, with control over what happens and to marry who she wants to marry, not some political/social climber. On the other hand, despite that part of her that I liked, she is also stubborn and naive--she believes, a lot of the time, what she wants to believe and does not listen to those who contradict her. She is also self-centered; I wanted to shout at her occasionally for not realizing that other people exist and have their opinions.

Ulfin is the man who appears to Phaedra by witchcraft--or, as he calls it, "under-craft". He is a complex character with contrasting sides and an interesting personality. He has hidden layers beneath what he appears to be, and the mystery behind it plays a major part of the plot.

Prince Paigan, also known as The Prince Under the Sky, is an excellent villain. He has the proper motives to be a strong antagonist, and he is creepy and dark. He has the perfect mixture to create a character that has depth and intelligence--something that you need if the villain is to be believable.

• Setting/Elements:

I loved the world-building in this book. I could picture the world well, with all the different houses and their lords, the mountains and the lake, the magical counter-world, the people with their culture and society.

Other: Mild language, sex, some violence.


I have read the two sequels to this book (it's a trilogy) and they're even better than this one--if you read The Cup of the World and enjoy it, I do recommend The Widow and the King and The Fatal Child.

Do I recommend this book? Yes.


-----The Golden Eagle

Book Review: Dragons Of Darkness

Title: Dragons Of Darkness

Author: Antonia Michaelis

Translated By: Anthea Bell

Publisher: Amulet Books, imprint of Abrams

Genre: Fantasy/Adventure

Page Count: 548

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

Cover Rating: 5 out of 5. *cover-induced drooling* You couldn't make a better cover for the book! And besides that, the dragon is simply gorgeous. Not all dragons are illustrated that well! I love it even more than Tiger Moon's cover, the other book she wrote. I would definitely want them doing my book cover . . .

Inside flap: 

Beautiful yet menacing dragons have come out of the mountains . . .

With an appetite as sinister as theirs, nothing--and no one--will be spared.

Christopher doesn't have much in common with Jumar, the prince of Nepal. He's not even sure how he ended up trekking across the mountainous country in the prince's strange company. But one thing is certain: someone must help fight the deadly dragons and other, even more dangerous forces that plague the land.

   The dragons are like something out of a fairly tale, draining all the color from the world and turning anyone caught in their shadows to metal. Defeating the dragons will take Christopher and Jumar on a journey deep into the heart of Nepal, and deep into the secrets of their own hearts. What they find there will make all the difference.

My expectations: Average. I expected an interesting fantasy read, maybe a little more like MG than YA.


This book falls pretty strongly into the YA category, and the mix of what's in this book . . . I seriously have never read anything like it!

About the book: The synopsis does not do this book justice in the least! The book is a wild ride, with invisible princes (yes, invisible!), to Maoist insurgents, to dragons that drink color and turn people to metal, to German boys thrust into the political conflict either by magic or because they traveled there to do aid work, to a queen frozen in time.


I loved it, all except for a few parts that I found a little strange. But there were a lot of good things, too. The political, communist aspect was a surprise--not many books, especially ones in the USA, are written that include Communism as one of its central points. Dragons Of Darkness incorporates the politics into the story well--it's not unrealistic or unbelievable, despite the circumstances that the characters are in.


The overall writing style, while translated, is very good. I love Antonia Michaelis's writing, part of the reason I snatched up this book after having read Tiger Moon. I wonder what it's like in the original German.

• Plot:

Fast, complicated, and little surprising. I didn't expect the characters to do what they did, nor did I ever completely anticipate what was going to happen next. The politics, magic, fantasy, characters, and the setting worked well together, although you might not think they would.

• Characters:

I really liked Christopher as a character. He was determined and a good person, and considering he was thrown into Nepal via magic and ran into an invisible prince without warning, he took everything in stride rather well. I grew fond of him.

Jumar was different, not only because he's invisible. He's also determined, although for different goals--he wants to rescue his kingdom, Nepal, and topple the Maoist insurgents who are attempting to take over the country. I like Christopher better, but Jumar was still an attractive character.

Niya was different from everyone. She was strong, fiery, and had amazing spirit, considering what she'd been through. I liked her sureness, and her strong-as-steel attitude, although some of her decisions made me blink. But she was a good character.


All the other secondary characters are equally as good, with people from all over the spectrum, from kings to monks to the insurgents.

• Setting/Elements:

The military aspect--the Maoists--surprised me at first. The title is Dragons Of Darkness, after all; it sounds like High Fantasy, or something like that. I hadn't expected to read so much of their political ideas, although I have to say that it was an interesting take on their principles and why they do what they do. It was also a glimpse of Nepal, and not many books have their setting in that country.

Other: Violence, and sex. The sex kind of threw me--these people are barely teenagers, yet they're having sex. Good grief.

I would love to see this book made into a movie. There's plenty of action, and with graphics where they are right now, I'm sure someone could do an epic job with the dragons.

Do I recommend this book? Yes!


-----The Golden Eagle

Book Review: The Thief

Title: The Thief

Author: Megan Whalen Turner

Publisher: Greenwillow Books

Genre: Adventure/YA/Fantasy

Page Count: 219

Rating: 3.2 out of 5

Cover Rating: 2 out of 5. It's okay . . . but it's still rather bleh. I like THIS cover better, but still, there's too much of his hands and not much of a background.

Inside flap: 

The king's scholar, the magus, believes he knows the site of an ancient treasure. To attain it for his kind, he needs a skillful thief, and he selects Gen from the king's prison. The magus is interested only in the thief's abilities. What Gen is interested in is anyone's guess. Their journey toward the treasure is both dangerous and difficult, lightened only by the tales they tell of the old gods and goddesses.

My expectations: Now, I've heard quite a bit about this book. One thing a lot of people seem to mention is THE END. As in, THE END SAVES THE BOOK. Personally, if the end is so fantastic and the beginning is dull, I'm betting the end will be rather dull despite everything.

Also, I don't terribly enjoy stories from the religions in the book. If it's really relevant to the plot then I have no issues, but this was just storytelling. In fact, when I read the inside flap synopsis, I almost didn't take it out because it sounded so uninteresting to me. "Difficult and dangerous" is on everyone's list, folks.

It was slightly better than I had anticipated.

About the book: I'm going to tackle the end first, because that seems to be the thing people are focusing on. 

It was not unexpected. Sorry, but it wasn't. It wasn't totally guessable, but as soon as the fight by the river happened and the magus managed to _____ what they were looking for, I had a hunch of what was going to play out.

The writing quality is okay. There's something about the way Megan Whalen Turner writes that just isn't my favorite--although it's not bad at all--and I didn't find myself enthralled by the way she uses the language. It's not really my thing. Also, I found that most of it came out in shades of gray for me. I could picture the world she created--but it didn't pop out at me and yell for attention.

• Plot:

The beginning was so-so. He's trapped in the king's prison; that's a good beginning. He travels with the magus, nothing much happens, they tell some folktales, they don't get into any really serious danger--that just didn't hold for me, and since the ending is practically there if you squint hard enough (or read enough books).

• Characters:

Gen. You know, I really don't think he deserved that Number One YA Fantasy Character or whatever it was called. He's all right--I like his attitude--but (and this was another thing that alerted me there was something up with the plot) he was much too demure through the trip. And another thing I noticed--Gen here was free to argue and complain (nonviolently) most of the time without much retribution. I get that they needed him . . . but it seems like his treatment was too soft.

The magus was a jerk. Normally, that would be good, but I just think the magus could have been a little more 3D. He was flat to me.

Sophos seemed naive. He may be the--oh, I shouldn't tell you. Anyway, he's naive despite it all and if you've been around my review a while you'll know that even slightly-naive characters (unless they're really young) don't jive with me in the least.

Ambiades was the stereotypical older-jealous-bratty boy who picks on Gen.

In fact, the more I look at it the more these characters seem stereotyped.

• Setting/Elements:

I wish she'd explained the politics a bit more! I was occasionally lost with Attolia and Sounis and wherever; the history seemed a little mangled to me and she didn't bother to explain in detail. Drat it, I probably would have liked the book better had I understood it more fully.

Other: Mild language. D-word, and also some violence. Nothing serious.

I don't see exactly why this book won the Newbery Honor.

Do I recommend this book? Eh, a bit. It's worth finding out what happens and what people are talking about. I might or might not take out the next book if I saw it in the library.

Have you ever read this book? Do you agree with this "so-so" review? Did you enjoy/ho-hum The Thief?

-----The Golden Eagle

Book Review: Going Bovine

Title: Going Bovine

Author: Libba Bray

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Genre: ?? I've seen it called Fantasy, YA Speculative, Adventure, Surrealdark Comedy, it could probably be called Paranormal, the NYT said she smashes the genre and grinds the tiny pieces into the sidewalk. So. You decide.

Page Count: 480

Rating: 5 out of 5

Cover Rating: 4 out of 5. Cow+gnome=perfect. I like the black too. The font's a little big, but they did get the author's name right. Bold, small, and at the top. It's visible, but it's not dominating the picture.

Inside flap:

All sixteen-year-old Cameron wants is to get though high school--and life in general--with a minimum of effort. It's not a lot to ask. But that's before h's given some bad news: he's sick and he's going to die. Which totally sucks.

    Hope arrives in the winged form of Dulcie, a loopy punk angel/possible hallucination with a bad sugar habit. She tells Cam there is a cure--if he's willing to do in search of it. With the help of Gonzo, a death-obsessed video-gaming dwarf, and a yard gnome who just might be the Viking god Balder, Cam sets off on the mother of all road trips through a twisted America of smoothie-drinking happiness cults, parallel-universe hopping physicists, mythic New Orleans jazz musicians, whacked-out television game shows, snow-globe vigilantes, and disenfranchised, fame-hungry teens into the heart of what matters more.

My expectations: High. I really, really liked The Gemma Doyle Trilogy, and Going Bovine did win the Michael L. Printz Award.

Despite that, it still managed to exceed my expectations.

About the book: It is EPIC. Everything is covered Going Bovine, it seems like. Death, life, love. How to live, why we're here, what's actually real. Plus, this book is funny and the characters are some of the best in a single book. It's very, very satisfying overall and I'm struggling here to think of a really weak spot.

The reason for the title? Cameron Smith has Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, also known as mad cow disease, only it's the human version. It's incurable. He starts hallucinating--or so he thinks. Fire giants, angels, flames, all caused by what the doctor tells him are prions.

When I finished this book I had to meditate on it for a while. I do that for books that have really, strongly struck a chord with me, and believe me, this book did that. It was excellent.

• Plot:

Hallucinations allow for some pretty amazing events to happen. This is one wild ride, from start to finish, and the situations they get themselves into are crazy. In the good way. It's a bit like The Hitchhiker's Quartet, only this time, Cam's set to die from the disease.

The ending is great. For a second I was thrown, and then the book just ended. It was abrupt, but I loved it.

• Characters:

Cameron Smith is a jerk. But he's a lovable, dying jerk who's trying to figure out the insane situation around him and gets a little less-jerky as time goes on (I said a little). He wasn't one of my favorite characters, but he was perfect for the story. Stubborn, fiesty, and just willing to believe the crazy things Dulcie tells him.

I loved Dulcie. Go, punk rock angels! Her spunk, her attitude, her attire. Fabulous. She's strong, too.

Gonzo is, as it says in the synopsis, death-obsessed. If not death, health-obsessed. Fish? Poisons! Hotel room? Germs! Spot on his lung? Tumor! He takes everything to the extremes, but he was a good character.

Balder. Poor Balder, forced into clothes as a garden gnome and made to pose with passing tourists. He was a funny little gnome; I liked him.

There are plenty of other characters thrown in, and at a variety of places; they were all well-written.

• Setting/Elements:

I LOVED the science aspect. 'Cause how many YA fiction books have physics in them? The Copenhagen Interpretation? Shrodinger's Cat? Parallel universes? Accelerators? Awesomeness, people. The scientists were depicted as being a little weird and maybe just a tad insane, but it wasn't a total stereotype.

The whole Cretzfeldt-Jakob disease thing is interesting; I hadn't known there was such a thing before, but I guess there is. I liked the way she put it into the story; is just the disease, a hallucination, or is it real?

Other: Language, drugs. There are a lot of drug references, and it mentions several times that Cameron has been "stoned" in the past. With the language, it's put in like it would be in a teenager's mind; seekers of really clean literature beware. There's also drinking/smoking, and some sex.

Do I recommend this book? Yes! Absolutely, and to people who read a wide range of genres.

(You have GOT to check out the site for the book, watch the interview, read about Putopia, and all that other good stuff: Going Bovine Website)

-----The Golden Eagle