Jonathan Stroud: The Ring of Solomon

One Word Summary: dancing hippopotamus

Synopsis: Bartimaeus is Back! It's about 3000 years back, but he doesn't disappoint. Immediately after escaping from and destroying a ruthless master, Bartimaeus is summoned to serve an even worse magician. His job is to help build Solomons temple with some of his best djinn pals. As punishment for his sass he gets reassigned to patrol duty to protect the roads into Jerusalem. This is where he rescues and puts his faith in a young nonmagician to set him free. What he gets is an adventure full of daring stunts, political intrigue, and impossible odds.

Rate: 5

Joanne Harris: Runemarks

One Word Summary: Chaos is necessary
Critique: I liked how Harris played with words. I liked learning about Odin and his crew, there aren't enough stories featuring Norse gods. I liked the maps at the beginning of the book. Who wouldn't? The plot is intricate, I expect she was pulling her hair out in parts. Harris must have had fun writing her characters. The goblins reminded me of Terry Pratchet's Mac Feegles. On the whole I smiled through this engaging book.
Rate: 3 oracles
Teaser Synopsis: In a world where order rules and anything magical is stamped out Maddy Smith is proud of her glamour. With the dubious help of her only friend and mentor, One Eye, she learns the old stories about the old gods. This story begins on a typical Monday morning 500 years after the end of the world (Ragnarok) when she unwittingly opens the door to the world below; where the adventure of a lifetime awaits.


Spoiler Synopsis: One Eye instructs Maddy to travel into the tunnels beneath Red Horse Hill to find a tool he desperately needs to save the world. He doesn't tell her what it is. He also refuses to accompany her because his old enemy is likely guarding the thing. Maddy is courageous. She forces a goblin to guide her. When she's good and lost and hungry and powerless, the goblin deserts her. But she does find the thing trapped in some sort of geyser. It's like a quartz volley ball. Almost immediately she meets a young man, who appears unmagical and has a plausible story for also being lost in world below. (Wow... this is getting LONG) Maddy decides to trust him, despite One Eye's warnings to trust no one. And that really begs the question: is One Eye trustworthy? Later she learns her mistake. It turns out the young man is Loki and he is One Eye's not-dead-after-all enemy. Anyhow, because her glamour is so powerful she's able to free the thing from the geyser. It turns out the thing is an Oracle. And the Oracle sees a battle looming with the fate of the world hanging in the balance. Which, I guess means, Ragnorak was not the end of the world after all. Alright so... meanwhile Maddy's archenemy (some sniveling unimaginative mortal boy) alerts the authorities that peculiar things are happening at Red Horse Hill. The Parson, an ambitious member of the Order (a fanatical hegemonic group with religious undertones determined to stamp out chaos), with the help of a conveniently near junior magistrate lays siege to the Hill. I can't remember all the details but the Order capture One Eye (who turns out to be Odin). Maddy inadvertently wakens the the wife of Njord (a huntress) who is one of the seven sleepers (AKA: the Vanir who survived the end of the world). The Huntress Goddess wants Loki dead. While she's confronting Maddy, who has hidden the oracle behind some ice, Loki falls from the ceiling. He saves himself by claiming to be in alliance with Odin and to have possession of the oracle. They all go to rescue Odin from the Order. Meanwhile the junior magistrate is preparing to enter Odin's mind and steal everything he knows. The Parson interferes with the inquisition. The magistrate dies. Odin escapes. The Parson hears a voice in his head. Ummm, and then I can't remember why but The Huntress forms an alliance with the Parson. Odin goes somewhere. Maddy and Loki decided to travel to the Underworld to fetch reinforcements, first they pick up the oracle hidden behind some ice in where the Vanir are sleeping. The Huntress returns to the mountains. The other Vanir wake up. She wants them to join with the order against Odin. They are all undecided. They go to meet Odin. The Huntress kill Freya and frame Odin. The Parson's wife gets in the way. Freya isn't killed. Odin goes somewhere again. The other Vanir decide against the Order. The Huntress is spitting mad. Odin has gone to Red Horse Hill. The Huntress and the Parson are chasing him. The Parson's wife her secret admirer and his pig follow them. And the other Vanir take up the rear. Loki and Maddy make a deal with Hel to enter the underworld (the place where the dead Aesir are trapped in eternal torment). The must leave there bodies behind.... really you should just read the book.

Question:
Am I overly sensitive or was there an anti christian agenda in this book?

Alfred A Knoph 2008

Kristin Cashore: Graceling

One Word Summary: kindness is a grace everyone can have
Review: Great writing. Compelling plot. Interesting characters. A dash of mystery. And my favourite, a little romance. Kristin Cashore did a wonderful job.
Synopsis: It's a world divided into seven kingdoms. There are people with extraordinary abilities known as gracelings. Katsa's grace is the ability to kill anyone. She's used by her uncle, one of seven Kings, as a sort of strong arm to enforce his will. She hates her grace, because people are afraid of her. One day, with a little help from Po, she realizes she doesn't have to act the monster. Together they strike out on their own to save the kingdom from an unknown menace. While on her journey Katsa learns a few home truths about herself.
Rate: 4 insurmountable mountains

Harcourt Books 2008

Review: Another fantastic tale by Kristin Cashore.

Synopsis: On the other side of the mountains, the Kingdom of the Dells is at war with itself. Gracelings are unheard of, but there are monsters. They crave the taste of monster blood, they are irresistibly beautiful and they can control your mind. Fire is the only human monster alive. Most people hate and fear her. For the last 16 years she has lived quietly, but now she's compelled to help restore peace to the land. It's an opportunity to undo her father's wickedness. And really she wants a chance to prove she isn't the monster people think she is.

Rate: 3 red heads
Censorship: Teenagers do have sex.

Dial 2009

Megan Whalen Turner: A Conspiracy of Kings (Queen's Thief Series #4)

One Word Summary: Sophos
More Words: I love this series. I like the way MWT writes intrigue- she doesn't make my head spin and she's never annoying. Reading one of her stories is like being on a ride at Disney Land. You can just sit back, enjoy, look around, take pictures. Everything is going according to plan. Gen's convoluted plan; but he always lands on his feet. He's like a cat.

Dedication: To Diana Wynne Jones, thank you for the stories and for the leg up.
Synopsis: Sophos believes he's a poet and not a king. When his Uncle, Sounis, dies and leaves the country in turmoil Sophos races to his friend for help. Only Gen is now Eugenides, the king of Attolia. Their once easy friendship is encumbered by politics. Can Sophos man up and save his country from civil war and the Mede invasion? Will the paltry army Gen has spared to him help?
Rate: 3 pockets

Harper Collins 2010

Sharon Shinn: Angelica

One Word Summary: Angels
More Words: This is the fourth book in the Samaria Series. I haven't read the others. This one is great. The alien culture is diverse, the story is interesting, the characters are solid, and there's just enough parallelism to our reality to give a person ideas to chew on.
Synopsis: An unknown enemy is annihilating isolated communities in Samaria (a continent on a planet colonized by humans who've forsaken most technology and have adopted a peace loving theocracy). While the government struggles to protect the population, the Archangel-elect is trying to manage his domestic issues. He has one rebellious younger sister, and one fiancee who is still in love with a former partner, and a host of angels to manage. Basically he's trying to save the world and everyone in it all alone.
Rate: 3 arias

Penguin Putnam Inc., 2003

Jaclyn Dolamore: Magic Under Glass

One Word Summary: Automaton
Summary: A fairy prince in trapped in a machine. Nimira, a foreign dancing girl must free him and help restore peace between the human and fairy kingdoms. Can she do it? Or will she settle for a handsome magician instead?
My Opinion: I wanted so much more from this story. Who doesn't like the idea of a princess rescuing the prince? For the book to be truly great it needs more attention to detail, more character development, better plotting, and a little je ne sais quoi. I still don't get the title, and what's with the wife in the attic? (Sorry about the spoiler.)

Lauren Kate: Fallen

One Word Summary: Mixed Messages
More Words: Because I haven't read anything in two weeks, my children have gotten used to me as the activities director on this boat. Consequently, I had a difficult time concentrating while reading Fallen. The idea is good. I'll probably read the next books out of curiosity. The setting, a moldering refurbished antebellum military academy, is full of possibility (if you can believe it). The writing is fine. At worst the plot is flimsy, and the characters don't always stay in character.
Plot Summary: Luce is at a new school, reform school. She's off her meds, anti-psychotic drugs. She's keeping her secrets, a suspicious fire that killed her pseudo-boyfriend. She's just trying to fit in, among delinquent misfits. And there are two boys. One is too good to be true, and the other she can't help stalking. Could this be star-crossed love?

To Read Later:
Paradise Lost, by John Milton
On the Puppet Theatre, by Heinrich Von Kleist

Action List:
Watch the movie
Read the Sequel

Delacourt Press 2009

Joanne Dahme: The Plague

One Word Summary: Inchoate

More Words: A tres boring adventure. From the beginning the writing is dull, and the characters lack sparkle. Basically they're too nice, except the Black Prince who is definitely creepy. The premise of the story is a little shaky too -an orphaned peasant who happens to look exactly like the Princess is taken into the Kings household on the very day her parents are unceremoniously interred, she gets to bring her brother along for the ride. Mark Twain did pull something similar off, but it was obvious he was writing a fairy tale. I almost didn't realize I was reading a fantasy until the chase was half over. Plus the romance is awkward, it wasn't unexpected just undeveloped and stalkerish. Nope, I didn't like this book. However I would re-read it if Dahme would re-write it. It could be a very exciting adventure.

Plot Summary: Princess Joan dies on the way to her wedding. The Black Prince forces Nell to impersonate the Princess. This is a very bad idea and could lead to war. A series of interesting characters help Nell to escape the evil machinations of the Prince. They are chased across France by an army of rats. Ick.

Henry H. Neff: The Tapestry Series Book 2, The Second Siege

One Word Summary: Phaedrus Bull
More Words: I take it all back. This is not a Harry Potter wannabe. Sorry Mr. Neff for the misunderstanding. The world of Rowan Academy is a little more frightening, and immediate. You know how G.I. Joe cartoons aren't scary because the red and blue lasers are just for show (smoke and mist?), well in this story people do get hurt and die. Still it's in the kid section. Not that I believe we should shelter our children over much, but really should they have to confront their mortality (and everyone else's) before age 12. What do the child development experts say? My daughter loves the cover so I put it out of reach, for now. It is pretty fascinating art work. The first book prosed on a little about how wonderful our world is, and how we have to fight to keep it wonderful because the marvelous things in this world are just tools that can be used for good or ill. Neff didn't repeat himself this time, but I agree with him.

Plot Summary: Astaroth (you can say his name out loud) ups the anti. Max and David have to save the world again. While journeying through space and time Max learns how to fight really really good-it takes forever but we don't have to read the boring details. Lives are destroyed mercilessly. Some blood and carnage ensue. The enemy is rebuffed, until next time Gadget.
Quote:

"I know," said the old man. ... "It is hard for the young to believe that
their elders were once foolish and beautiful, too."

Henry H. Neff: The Hound of Rowan Book One, The Tapestry

One Word Summary: Strategy
More Words: It’s a shame this novel was published on the heels of Harry Potter. Otherwise Max would have had a theme park. I like this book. It was solid. It follows a popular formula, but it’s different. The monsters aren’t from classical mythology, and Max is nobody’s pet. He’s brave and loyal like Harry or Percy but he’s more dynamic. Also Neff is a history teacher and it shows. The book isn’t perfect- the dull opening lines and the explanation of the traitor’s motives fell flat. Still, I look forward to reading the other books in this series.
Plot Summary: Max is 12 years old. He has heightened special abilities that are an inheritance from the Tuatha de Danaan (Fairies). After seeing a ‘vision’ of a tapestry at the Chicago Museum of Art Max is recruited to Rowan Academy where he will be trained to use his abilities to battle the forces of evil. He of course is a key player in the fight because he’s more than just special. This novel is an introduction to the Rowan Academy and its cast of characters with one or two frightening adventures.
Quote:

“They might,” said his father simply. “And so you might feel bad and I might look ridiculous, but we’re still going to live our lives...”
Question:
Does Neff like his work being compared to Rowling’s Epic?
Other Books:
The Bartimeaus Trilogy by Jonathan Stroud

Shannon Hale: Forest Born

One Word Summary: Darkness Inside

More Words: Shannon Hale is great. I really liked this addition to the Bayern series. Especially because I've been reading back issues of the New Yorker and especially since I devoured that Genius book. For all their intellectual high-brow-ness, liberal wit, and activism I often feel lost and scared after I've put aside my reading for the day. The word I'm looking for is despair. Which brings me back to Shannon Hale and why I like her stories. There's usually some trouble where the fate of the world/continent/nation hangs in the balance - and yet it's gets pared down to a manageable bite without losing flavour. Hale writes fantastic heart racing crisis moments. Often her heroes are crippled by self-doubt or guilt or social incompetence or some unique brew of issues. But they still save the kingdom from utter devastation. I can identify with that- even if I don't have superpowers that can be used for good or ill.

Comment on the cover design: I prefer the artwork for the first edition of Goose Girl.
Plot Summary: Rinna is Razo's baby sister. She has tree-speaking. She runs away from the trees and her family because... well that would be telling. As a lady in waiting to Queen Anidori she is instrumental in diffusing a border dispute that could lead to war that destroys the world. In the end, having come to terms with her greatest fears, she returns home to her family and to the forest.

Tamora Pierce: Bloodhound

One Word Summary: Beka Cooper is a one man band
More Words: and for some reason that's not very appealing. What really bothered me was how tough and knowing everyone is, even the babies. They were all so tough and knowing and they had to make sure you, the reader, know it. I began to feel like the whole story was being carefully outlined so as I wouldn't miss anything. The dialogue between the characters read something like this:

~I'm so tough and I don't trust you. Come over here so I can smack you upside the head.
~Yeah, well I'm tough too. See my hidden knives, you shouldn't trust me. I might smack you upside the head with one. Here's some food. Now tell me who the colemongers are. The colemongers are bad people. They're going to destroy our country.
~I'm so tough I don't trust you. Thanks for the food. I can't tell you who the colemongers are, even though I know who they are and they're so mean to me. But I'll take you to their forge so you'll have evidence against them when you take them to court. And I'll even give you a disguise so you wont be discovered in their hideout. Give me some more food, or I'll beat you up. Have I mentioned I'm so tough.

I guess what I really mean is that the Pierce lacks subtlety and finesse. Yet I love Tortal. It's a fascinating world. It's so corrupt and tough. I marvel at how it sustains itself. It would make a great movie. Hey maybe someone will option these books. And Jonathan Rhys Meyers can play Rosto. Ha! Admittedly what keeps me coming back for more is the hope that some girl and some boy will fall in love, or at least kiss.


Quote:
You're both so adorable I feel a hair ball coming up. p534

Questions:
Can girls be tough and feminine?

Censorship:
It's a jerky thing to say, but really, I hope my daughter doesn't waste her time on these books. It's about opportunity cost.

Other Books:
Robyn McKinley entire Oeuvre

Dianna Wynn Jones: The Game

One Word Summary: I want to be a comet

Kirkus says it all: A fantasy novella kindles a sizzling premise that fails to catch fire.

When I read the title of this book I got it confused with 3 other books...

• Teresa Toten's The Game, which I really liked but have to recommend with caution since it's a teen book dealing with dysfunctional family issues.
• A story I read a long time ago about a teen girl who gets stuck in a virtual reality game. It was really really fun. Heir Apparent by Vivian Vande Velde
• A story I read a long time ago about a two teens who become unlikely friends through an online rpg. Their friendship and private game help the girl to work through a traumatic event and her subsequent gender identity issues.

Terry Pratchett: Wee Free Men

One Word Summary: Crivens!
More Words: Waily Waily! Not being of an extremely intellectual bent I don't know if I can explain the higher meaning in this story, but I did like it. It was silly and thought provoking and interesting. I simply loved the Nac Mac Feegle, and their war cry. "Nae king! Nae quin! Nae laird! Nae master! We willna be fooled again!" The ladies in my book group spent a lot of time discussing two things. The first item we talked about (actually I listened) was how our perception of reality might not always be accurate. The second thing we talked about (again I just listened) was about how crazy our male children are. We also ate a lot of chocolate fondue. In general everyone enjoyed the book. One person didn't, she said it was soft-core fantasy and it didn't grab her attention. Incidentally she didn't' like A Wrinkle in Time either. As for me, I thought there was some irony in spending a good portion of a day reading a fantasy story about not dreaming your life away. I'm still wondering what Pratchett meant by 'waking up', it seems he meant a lot of things. Ultimately, I need to read more Shakespeare.

p.s. I read the illustrated version. Some of the pictures were purposely unpleasant. Revolting, actually. My daughter liked sneaking peaks. She's three. I'm not quite ready for her to fight monsters. And I believe she is still too young to grow up. However the pictures are facinating so... Beware. Little eyes are seeking. and Be ready to answer their questions.

Questions:

1. What makes a person a hero? What is a witch?
2. Is it possible for everyone to be "awake"? All the time?
3. How does the author feel about education? Does it keep us from thinking? Does make us useless?
4. Do you think this book says men are less smart than women? What's your opinion?
5. How did Tiffany's anger help her overcome the Queen?
6. Is there a difference between duty and love?
7. Why didn't Granny talk much? Why didn't Tiffany insist on being the Hero at the end? Do you think she was right to blackmail Roland? Did she blackmail Roland? What exactly happened?

Quotes:

They looked like tinkers, but there wasn't one among them, she knew, who could mend a kettle. What they did was sell invisible things. And after they'd sold what they had, they still had it. They sold what everyone needed but often didn't want. They sold the key to the universe to people who didn't even know it was locked.

"You mean...you think... that you sort of died somewhere else and then came here?" said Tiffany. "You mean this is like...heaven?"
"Aye! Just as advertised!" said Rob Anybody. "Lovely sunshine, good huntin', nice pretty flowers, and wee burdies goin' cheep."
"Aye, and then there's the fightin'," said another Feegle. Then they all joined in.
"An' the stealin'!"
"An' the drinkin' an' fightin'!"
"An' the kebabs!" said Daft Wullie.
"But there's bad things here!" said Tiffany. "There's monsters!"
"Aye," said Rob, beaming happily. "Grand, isn't it? Everythin' laid on, even things to fight!"

If I was a world that didn't have enough reality to go around, Tiffany
thought, then snow would be quite handy. It doesn't take a lot of effort. It's
just white stuff. Everything looks white and simple. But I can make it
complicated. I'm more real than this place.

Tamora Pierce: The Will of the Empress

One Word Summary: Escapism
The back cover reads: Long-awaited... Highly anticipated... The Circle Reforged. Four Mages. One Destiny. No Turning back.
More Words: ummmm, the book was very interesting while I was reading it. Only I forgot about it almost as soon as closed the back cover. In fact I don't really care about The Circle of Magic Series. Although I do like some of the other series, like Trickster's Choice and Terrier. Now those I really liked. Anyhow this is the third time I've checked this book from the library (thinking it's something else?), so I finally just hunkered down and read it. And yeah, the book is just fine if you need a break from all responsibilty but still need to actually be a little responsible. Oh, it's possible to understand without having read the other books.

Sharon Shinn: The Safe Keeper's Secret

One Word Summary: Wintermoon Wreath
More Words: I read the Safe Keeper's Secret, and at the end it still felt unfinished. It doesn't have a clean "and they all lived happily ever after" conclusion. The characters' lives just continue, and you never know what happens to them. For me it's a little untidy, though I'm sure some people love to fashion endings to suit themselves. The other two in the trilogy are the same, except that I liked them a lot better. I think because the romance was better. All three stories feature 1) a cruel boy, 2) a plot twist, 3) an abusive parent, 4) a happy family, 5) a regular convergence of people with magic, 6) expressions of love that follow an"I will go where you go" formula, 7) a discussion about the conflict between Justice and Secrets, 8) a heroine who gives her wishes away, and 9) the wintermoon wreath. Sometimes the writing seemed a little inconsistent, like the author would say Jack never eats beans and then later he would gobble up a whole bowl but only this one time because... and I never would have noticed except the author explained it away. However, I do read a little carelessly so my impression may very well be wrong. In the end, I liked the books. They grew on me.

DEDICATIONS- I like the dedications in all three of these books.

The Safe-Keeper's Secret:

For Aaron. Because reading the last few chapters aloud to you is one of my most special memories.

The Truth Teller's Tale:

For Sheila who always tells the truth and Alice who knows how to keep a secret.

The Dream-Maker's Magic:

For Andrew When you're old enough to read this May every single one of your dreams come true.

In my favourite story, The Dream Maker's Magic, the heroine is a girl raised to be a boy. I thought that was interesting idea and I wish the author did even more with it. Her love story made me think of Mill on the Floss and how I wish it ended.


The cover of Truth Teller's Tale is a little creepy. This book was the most lighthearted. I liked it a lot... and I kept wishing the SafeKeeper would just share some information already. I don't understand how anyone can trust someone who just smiles mysteriously.

Diana Wynne Jones: House of Many Ways

I heartily recommend all Diana Wynne Jones. It’s fun, adventurous, twisty, and obviously magical. House of Many Ways is a sequel to Howl’s Moving Castle. But the story doesn’t revolve around Howl, Sophie, or Calcifer; although they do save the day in the end (kind of like Castle in the Air- an earlier sequel). Instead this story is about Charmain, often called Charming, which she isn’t. She’s got a temper. She’s critical. She’s impatient. She's matter of fact. She doesn’t know how to do anything for herself, and she isn’t bothered to learn either; so long as she’s got food and a book and no interruptions. Charmain is my kind of hero. Anyhow, read the book and learn how she helped save the kingdom from the Lubbock.

I liked this book. I probably wont read it again.

Lois McMaster Bujold:The Hallowed Hunt

Interesting, but not great and sometimes down right ridiculous or worse, boring. This book didn't get interesting until just before the end, when the main character suddenly changed his stripes. Ingrey started out as your typical anti-hero hero, except he was also kind of dumb AND then he fell in love. After which he devolped a sense of humour, started to participate in his own life and began to take an active roll in the politcal arena. AND typical of fantasy novels he attained magical powers, with almost no effort. Indeed, as if by magic he turned shaman overnight. Although it might have made the book harder to finish if becoming a shaman took longer, or some training. Did I mention the romance? Nevermind. Another aspect of the book I didn't like was the over abundance of the italicized double thinks that were supposed to lend an air of political intrigue. Or just drive a person crazy.
Anyhow, there were some really fun characters that are probably found in other stories. This book I read is number 3 in Bujold's World of Chalion Series. And despite my not liking it, I might give the first two a try. Paladin of Souls (#2 in series) won the Hugo Award for best Novel. And I did read a Barnes and Noble review, which indicated The Hallowed Hunt isn't the best. Also a few weeks ago I stopped into a used book store (Hole in the Wall) and Bujold was strongly recommended to me. I read The Spirit Ring, and I really liked it. I can't give up on her after one not so great book.