All 2010 Reading Challenges Completed!

And I'm winded over here! I almost didn't think I'd make the YA Reading Challenge in time and if I didn't, I would have missed it by a single book. That would have rendered some serious self-ass-kicking. But I did it. I only participated in three this year, the Fantasy Reading Challenge, the Young Adult Reading Challenge and the Historical Fiction Reading Challenge. Just click on the respective images below to go check out my lists.

In 2011 I'm doing quite a few more but I have an epic shitload of books to read and since I can overlap all of the challenges, it's going to work out in the end and I won't be scrambling around on December 30th trying to wolf down books. I'll post those lists posts probably this weekend. I was going to do it tonight but it's already after 10 and I'm tired.

I hope everyone else's reading challenges went smoothly and you all have some good ones picked out for the coming year. Read on!

Jim Henson's Return to Labyrinth Volumes 2, 3 & 4 by Jake T. Forbes and Chris Lie

Published 2007, 2009 and 2010, respectively.

Secrets are revealed as the reign of power passes from one heir to another...

Toby has been named the next Goblin King and Lord of the Labyrinth, and the goblins are in an uproar. As heir to Jareth's throne, Toby hopes he can be more successful than he was in the human world, but first he must earn the respect of his subjects and learn to control the Labyrinth. His tutor in leadership and magic is Mizumi, the icy Queen of Moraine, but with each lesson, the young king finds himself drifting further away from his friends. Toby may have what it takes to rule this unruly kingdom, but at what cost? (vol. 2, book back blurb)

For Toby, as it is for all who enter the Labyrinth, the way forward is sometimes the way back . . .

Through danger untold and hardships unnumbered, Toby has finally arrived at the day of his coronation. But he is still unable to control the Labyrinth, treachery and deceit surround him, and worse yet - it's become clear that some of his soon-to-be subjects are less than happy about his recent appointment. Toby will have to keep his wits about him and his friends by his side if he's going to survive his first day as king! (vol. 3, book back blurb)

Can Toby, the new Goblin King, find his way in an aimless Labyrinth before everything he cares about disappears like the shadows of a dream?

All Toby Williams ever wanted was a purpose in life, which he thought he'd found when Jareth, the Goblin King, made him heir to the Labyrinth. But one should always be careful about what they wish for, as powerful forces still consider Toby a mere pawn. And he's not the only one - Jareth hasn't given up on his quest to dominate Toby's sister, Sarah. Her dreams live on within the Labyrinth in the form of a masked girl named Moppet, who may very well hold the key to everything . . . (vol. 4, book back blurb)

I wouldn't get much by the way of reviews if I split all of these up, plus there's more to comment on when targeted as a whole series instead of individual books so a combined review it is.

I read the first volume of this Labyrinth sequel while I was on vacation and pretty much as soon as I was done, I had to order the rest because I needed to see where these writers took the story and the world and I have to say, as a hardcore Labyrinth fan, I wasn't disappointed.

First a comment on the artwork. The covers are gorgeous. I don't think there's much denying that. The artwork within the pages itself, the one that tells the story, isn't as beautiful (I just don't think there was the room and I think it would have rocketed the cost of the book itself) but it really portrayed the world without being too angular anime-looking. The only characters that looked even remotely close to that angular look that kind of freaks me out was Toby, Jareth and that's pretty much it. The rest of the humans had some slight angles but nothing serious and the rest of the creatures, the goblins and faeries and whatnot, looked like they did in the movie which was all sorts of awesome. I liked how the artist didn't stray from that look too far.

As far as the story goes, considering the interest Jareth took in Toby and Sarah in the movie, I felt that it was an almost natural progression to go where it ultimately went. I could have lived without the Ice Queen spurned by the Goblin King but what fantasy story would be anything without some good romantic conflict? Actually, it wasn't all that great. It was okay and it served its purpose in the plot but really, I could have lived without it. I think the Queen consigned a little too easily at the end there, relinquishing her hold that she held so steadfastly to for so long. Maybe when she realized that she'll never have him she felt why bother anymore. Hey, at least she realized it. It's more than what a lot of chicks do in that situation.

I loved the tie-in between Moppet and Sarah. I don't want to spoil it because I was pretty shocked to find out just what Jareth did (I'll give you a hint, it's along the lines of Spike's Buffy-bot, but not quite) but it suits his persona and the world as a whole. Yeah, as the Goblin King who totally doesn't like getting pwned by a 15 year old girl, I could see him holding a grudge and taking it out on her like he did. I wish Sarah was a stronger character within the series, though. I kind of get why she wasn't up until the end, but the correlation between the why there and her personality originally, they don't match up. She was such a strong character that barely even considered taking the King's offerings in the movie (she barely paused a second when he offered her his balls . . . er . . .). But in the story, she damn near concedes. I found that out of character for her even outside of her character transformation.

As I said above, I could have lived without the Queen being there, especially her two daughters, although I liked what they ended up being. And associated to that, how they were their own individuals despite the circumstances (read the books, you'll know what I'm talking about, I'm trying not to spoil). The chubby one was just obnoxious and I was kind of glad when she was taken out of the picture. The emo one, I kind of like the 180 she did but ultimately, I didn't feel her being there all that important to the story as a whole except functioning more as a guide. And there are plenty of other creatures in the Labyrinth that could have done that. I did like how the story branched out beyond the Labyrinth and created other kingdoms but I think it could have been melded together differently.

At the end of the day, Toby's story was the one I kept pushing to the side because I wanted to know more about Sarah and Moppet. All of the teasers that centered around them were just too juicy to resist. I mean, it's not that I didn't like Toby's tale, but it's a pretty standard one. A hint of Chosen One Syndrome with a bit of coming of age mixed in. His surroundings were kind of cool but other than that, I wasn't too interested. Let's face it: I wanted more Jareth and Sarah. So I kept reading for that.

While I think I would have liked to have seen actual novelizations over manga, I still liked the visuals and I was able to follow along with the story just fine. These books are a definite keeper if you're a Labyrinth fan. And you'd better hurry up. Pretty soon they'll be nothing but a dream (or a costly keepsake) soon enough. No, really. BN doesn't list them at all and Borders only has the last two in the series. So snag them while they're cheap. You'll be kicking yourself if you wait and end up paying $200 a pop like the movie novelization is.

Jim Henson's Return to Labyrinth #1 by Jake T. Forbes and Chris Lie

First published in 2006.

The Goblin King has kept a watchful eye on Toby: his minions secretly guiding and protecting the child . . .

Legions of goblins work behind the scenes to ensure that Toby has whatever his heart desires . . .

Preparing him for the day when he will return to the Labyrinth and take his rightful place beside Jareth as the heir to the Goblin Kingdom . . .

That day has come . . .

. . . but no one has told Toby. (book back blurb)

The only reason I had to read this book was because it's the sanctioned sequel to the movie Labyrinth (dear god, may Hollywood be smart enough to NEVER touch that one). Yeah, it's manga. Not my favorite thing. Angular people freak me out. But it's Labyrinth so try it I must. Please keep in mind this is only the second manga I've read. The first being James Patterson's Maximum Ride which I wasn't fond of at all.

But this one? This one I liked. A lot. The drawings weren't so crazy angular, there wasn't any of that weird movement-as-words thing going on like there was in Maximum Ride. Basically this didn't come off as a rushed, scribbled piece of work. What was already established world looked a lot like it did in the movie, which I really liked. It makes me think that Labyrinth is still alive.

I'm not sure what they did with Sarah because she's a bit mannish. Maybe she's gone mousy. But from what I understand she plays a bigger role in the rest of the books so we'll wait and see. Jareth was a bit too feminine. I get he was a little effeminate in the movie (he wore way too much blue eye shadow not to be) but in here he just looked like a chick, period. Especially when he was in his principal's uniform. It was a little weird.

I wasn't too fond of the way Toby got into the Labyrinth. I felt it was a little too young for his character. He's supposed to be something like 16 and he chased a goblin because it stole his homework? Weird. But overall I liked where the plot was going and I want to know more about Moppet. It's nice that I can actually get all of the story from a manga; that I get what's going in, the pictures compliment the plot instead of override it and it all works together.

Ultimately I like being able to see what's beyond the Labyrinth and Jareth's throne room. There's a greater world here and this book delves into that, which is awesome. If you're a fan of Labyrinth, then you're definitely going to want to add these to your collection. I liked this first one so much that I immediately bought the other three. I can't wait to get to them! I still wish it was in a novelization because I would have liked it to have been more in depth but I'll take this. The visuals work, the story works and I like where it's going. What more do I need?

The Exiled Queen by Cinda Williams Chima

Pub date - September 2010.

Haunted by the loss of his mother and sister, Han Alister journeys south to begin his schooling at Mystwerk House in Oden's Ford. But leaving the Fells doesn't mean danger isn't far behind. Han is hunted every step of the way by the Bayars, a powerful wizarding family set on reclaiming the amulet Han stole from them. And Mystwerk House has dangers of its own. There, Han meets Crow, a mysterious wizard who agrees to tutor Han in the darker parts of sorcery - but the bargain they make is one Han may regret.

Meanwhile, Princess Raisa ana'Marianna runs from a forced marriage in the Fells, accompanied by her friend Amon and his triple of cadets. Now the safest place for Raisa is Wien House, the military academy at Oden's Ford. If Raisa can pass as a regular student, Wien House will offer both sanctuary and the education Raisa needs to succeed as the next Gray Wolf queen.

Everything changes when Han's and Raisa's paths cross, in this epic tale of uncertain friendships, cutthroat politics, and the irresistible power of attraction. (book back blurb)

Like The Demon King, The Exiled Queen is chock full of fantastical awesomeness. Chima has a way of writing that makes the Seven Realms both sit in the background yet be full and lush, enveloping you into its world. Like Sab (YA Bliss) said in her review, I want to live in this world. It just feels so real, like something that could exist on an alternate plane that if you could just tilt your head the right way, you'd see it.

The relationships between Amon, Raisa, Han, Dancer, Cat, Micah and Fiona are flourishing, some for the good and some for the bad. They're multidimensional in this book compared to the last. I feel like what I got in TDK was just a scratch in what these characters really are. And I'm so rooting for Han and Raisa. I can't wait to see just what happens between them in the next book. And Raisa and Amon for that matter.

Speaking of, I think one of my favorite parts of these books is the way Raisa views courtship and romance. She really is a helpless romantic but the facetious way she talks about kissing this boy and that boy and this other one, and then this one in dark corners, it's just a relief. There's no guilt. No one chastises her for how she acts. It's just normal. I guess it's refreshing seeing how normal Raisa is in her dating life considering everything going on around her.

The issues between Han and Micah are coming to a head and man, I'm just waiting for it to burst. But I truly pity Han. He's stuck in a difficult spot and is basically nothing more than a tool for people to use. It's hard not to think that they're using him not only for his talents but because of the very fact that he rightly has nothing left. No one will miss him should he get gone. But really, that's not true.

I just can't help but absolutely love the world that Chima created. The more I read her books, the more the world just fits into my normal. It's both intricate yet understanding. You can feel the dangers that the cadets face traveling to Oden's Ford. The way she wrote about the mist reminded me of some horror story where the mist was alive. And it might as well been here. I feel the pain and anguish and joy and love and hate that every single character feels; from Raisa herself right down to Cat, who, right now, is little more than a blip on the greater radar. You can feel the grime that covers them, feel how tired they are, the pain they feel after training. It's such an exceptionally written book that it's hard not to get sucked in completely.

It's funny because the book is a little long. I'm sure it could have been chopped down, that some parts were overdrawn. But if you ask me what could be cut, I couldn't name a single thing. I loved it all and every sentence in the book now makes it all the richer. I really can't say much more about The Exiled Queen without completely fangirling it and I really don't have any complaints so I'm going to end this here. Just read it and join me in my pain of waiting for the next book.

The Demon King by Cinda Williams Chima

Published October 2009.

Times are hard in the mountain city of Fellsmarch. Reformed thief Han Alister will do almost anything to eke out a living for himself, his mother, and his sister, Mari. Ironically, the only thing of value he has is something he can't sell. For as long as Han can remember, he's worn thick silver cuffs engraved with runes. They're clearly magicked - as he grows, they grow, and he's never been able to get them off.

While out hunting one day, Han and his clan friend Dancer catch three young wizards setting fire to the sacred mountain of Hanalea. After a confrontation, Han takes an amulet from Micah Bayar, son of the High Wizard, to ensure the boy won't use it against them. Too soon, Han learns that the amulet has an evil history - it once belonged to the Demon King, the wizard who nearly destroyed the world a millennium ago. With a magical piece so powerful at stake, Han knows that the Bayars will stop at nothing to get it back.

Meanwhile, Raisa ana'Marianna, princess heir of the Fells, has her own battles to fight. She's just returned to court after three years of relative freedom with her family at Demonai camp - riding, hunting, and working the famous clan markets. Although Raisa will become eligible for marriage after her sixteenth name day, she isn't looking forward to trading in her common sense and new skills for etiquette tutors and stuffy parties.

Raisa wants to be more than an ornament in a glittering cage. She aspires to be like Hanalea - the legendary warrior queen who killed the Demon King and saved the world. But it seems that her mother has other plans for her - plans that include a suitor who goes against everything the queendom stands for. (book back blurb)

I've always been a little hesitant about reading high fantasy because of the detachment I tend to feel while reading. The books that I've read seemed to be more concerned about dumping every little piece of the world the author created onto the reader instead of focusing on the plot. Things that functioned like normal pieces of our world were renamed and lacked context so I spent more of the book trying to figure out what was what instead of what was going on.

Not so with The Demon King. At first the entrance into this new world was a little jarring. New terminology and things can do that to a person. But after about a chapter and a half, I zoomed right into the plot and I didn't want to stop. I didn't want to stop so bad that I plowed into the next book in the series, The Exiled Queen, because I just had to know what happened next. Which only means I'm going to have to wait extra long for the next book. At least I have The Warrior Heir in my TBR pile to tide me over.

The realms that Chima created is both wholly fantastic in its new self and at the same time grounded enough in our reality that I could stay connected to the story while reading it. The bits and pieces of the world that made it unique to itself blended seamlessly with the story. There wasn't any lingering on a single piece of anything to infodump. Anything that needed to be known about anything was woven into the story itself. Everything was a part of everything else and no single piece stood out any more than the rest. There was just enough newness to the world that I felt immersed in a whole different place as I was reading but the characters, their actions, their circumstances and their surroundings held me in place for how real they were. I felt that despite the fantasy land, it could have existed.

Raisa is probably one of my favorite YA heroines I've read yet. She's so strong-willed and opinionated but not obnoxiously so. She knows her place and yet at the same time somewhat (and not-so-somewhat) works quietly to fight against that. She strives to better herself. As much as she loves her mother, she doesn't want to be an ignorant or weak queen. She pushes people to push her because it'll make her that much stronger.

And I love just how blatant her sexuality is. Usually when you end up with any kind of king/queendom type of setting, there's an air of propriety attached. While she's not allowed to have boys in her room or anything, she speaks of kissing a multitude of boys as if it were nothing. She's not a slut but she's certainly not prudish, either. She has her limits, she knows them and she sticks to them. I love it.

And one can't help but love Han. Man, did he get the shit end of the stick in life. And while his and Raisa's paths cross pretty briefly in the overall length of the story, they remain with each other. Except Han doesn't know who's crossed his path. He's not matching the girl he's thinking about to the girl he loathes in the high tower. I'm anxiously awaiting the point when he finds out the two are one and the same.

I loved the history of this world that skimmed just under the surface of the plot and subplots. It made me want to know more. There's a political divide there; treason, treachery, hatred. I'd love to grab one of Speaker Jemson's history books and just sit and read for a while. Or even listen to old Lucius since he knows the real history of the Breaking. I also love how the revolt from on high is taking place so underhandedly. Sneaky bastards, those wizards!

I just can't say enough good about The Demon King. I really can't. The world is so vivid that I could dive right into it. The characters are so real I could almost touch them. The story pulled at me so strongly that at points I wanted to yell out to help the characters and I even got misty-eyed at a few other moments. Most importantly, The Demon King has me so excited for high fantasy that I'm totally jazzed to keep working on my own manuscript and dear god, I hope it can be at least a tenth as good as this is. Even if high fantasy isn't your thing, you need to read this one. The plot alone will suck you in. The world is just a gorgeous added bonus.

Manifest by Artist Arthur + Contest!

Published August 1st, 2010.

When fifteen-year-old Krystal Bentley moved to Lincoln, Connecticut, her mom's hometown, she assumes her biggest drama will be adjusting to the burbs after living in New York City.

But Lincoln is nothing like Krystal imagined. The weirdness begins when Ricky Watson starts confiding in her. He's cute, funny, a good listener - and everything she'd ever want - except that he was killed nearly a year ago. Krystal's ghost-whispering talents soon lead other "freaks" to her door - Sasha, a rich girl who can literally disappear, and Jake, who moves objects with his mind. All three share a distinctive birthmark in the shape of an M and, fittingly, call themselves the Mystyx. They set out to learn what really happened to Ricky, only to realize they aren't the only ones with mysterious powers. But if Krystal succeeds in finding out the truth about Ricky's death, will she lose him for good? (book back blurb)

I raced through this book in a matter of a few hours (collectively, over the course of a couple days). Cover to cover. I just couldn't put it down. The story opens with a really bratty Krystal having to go through her parents divorce by pretty much being dragged through it against her will. Despite the over-the-top brattiness, her voice was just so compelling I couldn't stop reading. She really is self-centered and really tried to make the world revolve around her but I can somewhat sympathize with her. My parents divorced when I was just a little younger than her and while the circumstances of their divorce were wildly different, the loss was still there. I just didn't have to uproot myself which was a good thing.

Enter Ricky who essentially hands Krystal the smackdown she so desperately needs. It's because of him that she grows from this self-involved girl caring nothing for anyone else to someone that's willing to go out on a limb to solve other people's problems and actually see the forest for the trees. Her own self-deprecation makes her all the more appealing as a character. When the full situation behind her parents divorce comes to light, she ends up with egg on her face and fully feels the guilt for acting like such a bitch to her mother and step-father. I found this growth so amazingly appealing because it felt so genuine and so realistic. Being humbled hurts and it was nice to see that Krystal doesn't escape that.

I love the fruition of the powers and the people that have them. Sasha is such a torn character, straddling a line between a rich obligation and a human one. I found it ironic that someone who shouldn't want nor need the ability to disappear does have it. I'm wondering how her power is going to grow and what it's going to be used for. It doesn't seem to be as wondrous as Jake's telekinesis or Krystal's mediumship. It'll be interesting to see how that develops. And I love just how pivotal Jake's role in uncovering all of the information is. This "low life" Tracker basically holds the key for these teens to figure out the whys and the hows behind their powers. He's humbled because of his position in life but when the situation calls for it, he protects what he does have unabashedly and without shame. The dynamic between these three is great and they compliment each other wonderfully.

I thought the driving conflict of the story was a little far out there but I liked how it had a very Supernatural (as in the TV show) feel. I couldn't help but equating that black fog that kept appearing to the way demons appear in the show. It makes me want to know what that black fog is, to see if it's similar. I also liked how the supernatural element was kind of second tier to the development of the characters themselves. Yeah, it was a pretty big part but it was more about growth of character than flashy super powers.

The only real issue I had with the book was the rich vs. poor attitude in school. I live in Connecticut and yeah, there are some really rich people here. Really rich. There are also some really poor people too. And the thing with coastal towns in Connecticut, they're either ridiculously rich or pretty inner city. The likes of Bridgeport and New Haven have really high crime rates and if really rich parents happened to live in these cities, their children would not be going to public schools. I mean, if a CT girl was rich enough to have a driver, he certainly wouldn't be driving her to a public school. So that was really the only part that really kept pulling me out of the story. I know that kind of juxtaposition creates great drama but I just don't know how realistic it is for CT. If I didn't know the area, it wouldn't have been a problem.

So overall, Manifest is a great, compelling read that'll have you rocketing from one cover to the other. The spirit-talking is freaky, Krystal is a great character that's put in some scary situations, her friends are awesome and the ending had me wanting to read more. So when does the next book come out?

Contest Time!!!

Want to win my ARC of Manifest? Just fill out the form below for your chance to win. Open to US residents 13 years of age and older only. One entry per person per email. Duplicate entries will be deleted. Contest ends August 28th at midnight, EST.

Lips Touch Three Times by Laini Taylor

Published 2009.

A girl who's always been in the shadows finds herself pursued by the unbelievably attractive new boy at school, who may or may not be the death of her. Another girl grows up mute because of a curse placed on her by a vindictive spirit, and later must decide whether to utter her first words to the boy she loves and risk killing everyone who hears her if the curse is real. And a third girl discovers that the real reason for her transient life with her mother has to do with belonging - literally belonging - to another world entirely, full of dreaded creatures who can transform into animals, and whose queen keeps little girls as personal pets until they grow to childbearing age.

From a writer of unparalleled imagination and emotional insight, three stores about the deliciousness of wanting and waiting for that moment when lips touch. (book flap blurb)

This book had my jaw dropping. Now, I'm not a big romance person. It's not something I seek out. But the twisted parts behind these stories had me intrigued, plus all of the reviews I read were really good. Really, the elements have to be just right for me to pick up a book that, at first glance, was labeled as a romance.

But I don't see these stories as being romantic. At least not two out of the three. The first story, Goblin Fruit, had me stumbling an extra page because I wasn't expecting it to end so abruptly. When I realized there wasn't any more except the next unrelated story, I went nooooooooooooooo! The build-up was so sizzling and filled with teenage angst. You know what's going to happen and you don't. You expect one thing and you get another. You can feel the tension riling and rising and it hits the climax and you don't even get to come down from the high. It just ends. I wanted more.

Spicy Little Curses Such as These was actually my least favorite out of the three. Not that is wasn't good. I just didn't feel the same pull with this one as the other two. Once the boy comes into play, the rest of the story hinges on whether or not the girl will speak. Again, you expect one thing and get another. It's a retelling of the story of Orpheus but without the d'oh! ending. I think this one ended too nicely for me. That just shows how demented I am. I don't want love in a love story, dammit! They have to work for it! Not like they didn't. Not at all, actually. But, meh. It just didn't catch me like the other two.

Hatchling I loved because the world Taylor drew felt so real. I honestly thought she was drawing from some Middle Eastern mythology while I was reading it. I was wrong and for the most part, it came solely from her imagination, with some guidance, of course. That's what had me reading more than the kiss-themed part, which really wasn't a huge part of the story. Not for the main girl involved, anyway. It kept hopping around time-wise and it was kind of hard to keep track of where in the story I was reading but it settled out. But the mythical mythology was what really held my attention. It felt like something you could draw on, something people could believe in. I want to read it again just to soak in more of that world. Even the hideous creatures under the bridge and the nuances of the soulless shapeshifters had me feigning for more. I loved it.

The drawings at the beginning of each story were amazing as well. They give you just enough of the story to get a grasp of what's to come but not enough to spoil anything. The gray and red that were drawn in gave them a rustic, almost grungy type of feel but they complimented each story nicely.

This one's a must read for anyone that like writing. Really, even if you're not a romance fan you're going to like this. In all honesty, it's not about romance, or even love. It's about passion and fire and longing, something I think far more people feel than the other two. The writing sucks you in and holds onto you until the very end. And by then you're the one longing for a kiss. Let's just hope it turn out better for you than it did for these characters.

The Looking Glass Wars by Frank Beddor

First published in 2006.

The Myth

Alice Liddel was an ordinary girl who stepped through the looking glass and entered a fairy-tale world invented by Lewis Carroll in his famous storybook.

The Truth

Wonderland is real. Alyss Heart is the heir to the throne, until her murderous aunt Redd steals the crown and kills Alyss's parents. To escape Redd, Alyss and her bodyguard, Hatter Madigan, must flee to our world through the Pool of Tears. But in the pool Alyss and Hatter are separated. Lost and alone in Victorian London, Alyss is befriended by an aspiring author,to whom she tells the violent, heartbreaking story of her young life. Yet he gets the story all wrong. Hatter Madigan knows the truth only too well, and he is searching every corner of our world to find the lost princess and return her to Wonderland so she may battle Redd for her rightful place as the Queen of Hearts. (book back blurb)

OMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMG!

This book was fucking awesome. I really have no other words to describe it. Fucking awesome.

So it takes some liberties with the original Alice in Wonderland. Such is what happens when things fall into the public domain. I read some reviews about how people were so pissed off that Beddor bastardized the original so much and disrespected it and blah blah blah. You know, if you missed the unabashed drug references in the original, you're blind to how innocent Alice in Wonderland is not.

The world that Beddor creates is just amazing. The Checkerboard Desert. Mount Isolation. Wonderland itself. I loved the caterpillars in their mushroom land. Everything that we originally knew with Alice was expanded and made so much richer. There's a real story there instead of a flight of fancy. It'll be hard for Disney to screw with this one.

When Alyss traveled through the Pool of Tears and started doubting where she came from, I too started to doubt whether it was all a dream. Just the intricate way it was handled. It wasn't over the top screaming tantrums but one pivotal moment that had Alyss realize that she needed to start to acclimate. I was both saddened and questioning because she was giving up on Hatter, and Hatter is not one to give up on, and she was becoming a drone which she so wasn't.

Alyss is both strong and vulnerable. Fragile and unbreakable. I loved her character and I only wish all female characters in YA books showcased this kind of realistic strength that Alyss exuded. She wasn't really some spoiled little brat and she truly went through all those hardships alone. It hurt to read yet I was compelled to keep doing so.

I also liked the relationship aspect with her and Dodge. Despite that when she came back so much time had past and the man she re-met wasn't the same Dodge she left behind, she still had those feelings for him and he for her. Yet she would be willing to give him up if he chose the side working against her. She wasn't so weak to follow him into darkness but he left a soft spot on her, that's for sure.

Redd is a psychotic bitch, and what faerie tale would be complete without one? Hatter Madigan is an official literary crush for me. Hello sir! I loved General Doppelganger and the Knights. The Cat even had his funny moments despite the fact he was on the antagonist's side. Gives the Cheshire Cat a whole new meaning.

There really isn't anything not to like in this book. Alyss is a strong, relatable character and her story just sucks you in. The world Beddor created (not to mention his drawings, awesome!) just gives Wonderland a whole new, and good, light. I honestly can't wait to finish reading the series. It makes me wish my TBR pile weren't so big so I can jump right into them. Blast this OCD of mine.

But really, go grab this one. Buy it. I gobbled this up and I really think you would too.

Maximum Ride 1 adapted by Narae Lee

Published in 2009.

Fourteen-year-old Maximum Ride knows what it's like to soar above the world. She and all the members of her "flock" - Fang, Iggy, Nudge, Gasman, and Angel - are just like ordinary kids, except they have wings and can fly! It may seem like a dream come true to some, but for the flock its more like a living nightmare when the mysterious lab known as the "School" turns up and kidnaps their youngest member. Now it's up to Max to organize a rescue, but will help come in time? (book back blurb)

This was my first manga book and it will probably be my last (except for the Labyrinth ones, I'm still seriously considering getting those). First, can someone please tell me how 'manga' is pronounced? I keep saying it like the Italian word for 'eat.' I've also pronounced pilates like pee-lats because I'd never heard it pronounced before. Can someone help me out here?

The thing is, I don't know what's normal for manga and what isn't. It's not like reading a comic book/graphic novel. I like comics. I enjoy them. But this was just weird. For instance, is it normal to have a characters actions spelled out around them (like when a character was shaking, 'shake' was actually written around the character)? I just found that annoying.

I also found the drawings really distracting, probably because they were really detracting from the plot, which was hard to follow because there were more drawings than plot-related words. I had a hard time catching onto the plot because I felt it was buried under the pictures. Every once in a while I'd grasp hold of it and like what I was reading but then I'd lose it again. It'd just get buried underneath all the busy artwork, which I don't even really like. I've always been kind of freaked out by manga-style drawings (way too angular) so that didn't help the book's cause any.

This was another BEA random grab that has taught me to be way more selective about the books I nab this time around. I just saw 'James Patterson' and pretty colors and yoink! Not again.

In all honesty, I can't tell if I liked the story. From what I've gathered of the plot it's not bad. It doesn't sound too much like my thing to read but I've heard good reviews of it. But I'll have to read the actual novels to really find out. So consider this review based purely on the manga aspect of it and not on James Patterson's work. It's safe to say I'm not a manga fan and I won't be picking it up again any time soon (unless it's Labyrinth, I might just suck it up for that). I'll leave this one to the real manga fans out there.

Sea Change by Aimee Friedman + Contest!

First published in 2009.

When Miranda Merchant, sixteen and levelheaded, escapes her lonely, hot summer in New York City, little does she know what awaits her. She steps off the ferry onto an island rife with legend, lore, and a past her logical mind can't make sense of. She isn't expecting to feel a connection to this unusual place, so filled with languorous charm and strange history.

And when she meets Leo, a mysterious local boy, she finds herself questioning everything she thought she knew about boys, friendships, reality . . . and love.

Is Leo hiding something? Or is he something she never could have imagined? (book flap blurb)

I got this book from Aimee at her signing at BEA last year mainly because Steph from Reviewer X dragged me into her signing line to get it. Otherwise I wouldn't have picked this one up. From the blurb, it doesn't really seem to be my thing, especially since it leans more towards romance. But since it was in my pile I wanted to give it a chance because I'm willing to step outside my safety zone and try new things.

Am I glad I did. I started reading and pretty much swallowed the book whole, to my surprise. I loved Miranda. Just like the blurb says, she's levelheaded and logical, but almost to a fault. It's very hard for her to see beyond logic and science and that's something I can definitely relate to. It takes her a lot to step out of her tunnel vision but, eventually, she does.

This book was about change but I think it went further beyond the fantastical part. It was about Miranda coming out of her shell and realizing who she is, in so many different ways. She's not just this hard-nosed scientific type. As much as she isn't willing to admit it, she's someone that could just maybe, quite possibly, almost believe in the fantastical.

The fantasy aspect in this book was subtle and more implied than in your face. Miranda got her information from a book of lore she found in her grandmother's house. She sees things out of the corners of her eyes that she can't really explain and which we never can an explanation for. I'm pretty sure that was the point. Not everything needs an explanation. Something it helps to just believe.

I liked the romance aspect because it wasn't overwhelming and it was much more realistic than what I've read in a lot of YA lately. I'm a firm believer in summer romances (because I can relate!) and it makes sense for Miranda making the connection that she does. Read the book and you'll find out what I'm talking about! The ending was especially great. It was hopeful without being sappy. It wasn't wholly a happy ending but a satisfying one.

The part I wasn't fond of was the whole rich kids versus townies triangle that was going on. I get that the richies from the mainland summered on the island but I felt that the 'suitable rich boy as a potential boyfriend who only turns out to be raised a prick' is a little tired. Surely not every single kid born into privilege isn't capable of seeing beyond their situation and is willing to break the mould. Needless to say, who Miranda chooses end is pretty obvious but that didn't keep me from silently cheering for her sticking it to the guy that didn't see her for her.

Overall, an excellent read and totally surprising for me. I love it when I decide to take a risk on something by stepping off my safety net and it pays off. I'm glad Steph dragged me into that line and I ended up with this book. It was a great read and now I'm going to seek out more of Aimee's work because her take on the teenage voice and situations were just awesome. Not all books have to be chock full of drama and overly obnoxious to be "fitting" to the YA market. Sea Changes is one of those examples and I'm so happy for its reasonableness.

PS - Did I mention that the cover is gorgeous too? I don't normally talk about covers because they're pretty irrelevant to how I feel about the book but this one just blows me away. It's absolutely beautiful!

Contest Time!!!

Fill out the form below for your chance to win my copy of Sea Changes by Aimee Friedman!

The Soulstealer War: The First Mother's Fire by WL Hoffman

First published in 2007.

Unemployed after graduation, Kenneth McNary seeks inspiration on the Appalachian Trail. He never suspected that it would find him first. Ken is transported to a fairytale world by a god-like sentience and is tasked with uniting the world's denizens for a coming war - a war with eternal consequences for every soul consumed by the Enemy.

While grappling with metaphysics and the dangers of his strange surroundings, Ken learns that the few humans inhabiting the realm are meek slaves to near-immortal beings who have lost their magic. Complicating this situation is a mysterious new race of magic wielders and the reappearance of subterranean, flesh-eating creatures long thought extinct.

To survive the perils and embrace his destiny in a land hostile to humanity, Ken must discover the Fire within. But he faces two problems: he is a novice pitted against masters, and the magic may kill him before the masters do! (book back blurb)

Sounds interesting, right? I was talking to the author at BEA last year and he was explaining the premise to me and it just sounded so neat. Scientific fantasy. Stuff that might be explainable. It was different from a lot of the fantasy I'd read so I snagged a copy. It sat in my reading pile since then simply because it got buried and I just didn't get around to reading it until last week.

Or attempting to read it is more like it.

It was like wading through sludge up to your neck. This is pure masturbatory work if I've ever read any. If you're unfamiliar with the term, when I say a work is masturbatory, I'm meaning that it's nothing more than the author exerting their stash of fifty cent SAT words and patting themselves on the back for it. Or grabbing for the lotion, as it were.

This book is so bogged down in overwrought nonsense that I consistently found myself pondering the mystery of shirt fuzz to bring some excitement into my reading. It was a process just to get about 50 pages in and then I just couldn't handle it anymore. There were way too many "he thought about it" followed by large blocks of italicized text of the MC talking through explanations. Nothing is shown. Everything is told. I was lectured at the entire time I was reading.

There is a potentially good story and great world buried until all the pretentious crap flooding the pages but the ground was too frozen for me to keep digging. I just had to stop. Yeah, I know I was getting into science but I wasn't expecting this:

. . . Although Ken rarely spoke about his sixth sense, as it wouldn't mesh with the propriety necessary for a corporate legal career, it wasn't long before he had elicited Barb's opinion during one of the crew's midnight sessions. In her classic psych way, between a cigarette puff and a sip of gin, she had summed it up as fleeting microcapsules when his subconscious tapped a high awareness state, collated information strands from the surroundings into bundled inference, and then manifested the resulting cues to his conscious self as a motor response. It was a comfortingly mundane explanation for something that for so long had seemed so baffling.

Isn't that just so clear? Like reading a physics textbook when you're failing the class. Everything I read was like this, either from a legal or scientific standpoint. I wasn't expecting this level of technicality when I picked up a work of fiction. If I wanted something like this, I'd actually grab a textbook.

I just felt the author didn't want to so much tell a story as he wanted to showcase his vocabulary and scientific knowledge. Thanks, but I'll pass. If you can wade through something like this, more power to you. Tell me how it pans out. But I just couldn't bring myself to slog through it. I didn't find it worth my time. Any book that can't keep my attention I'm not about to force myself to read. I'm not in school anymore hence I don't have any grades pending on my knowledge of the material.

Because I couldn't finish it, I'm not rating it although I doubt it'd rate very high even if I got to the end. The language and writing style didn't seem to be letting up any time soon.

Never After by Dan Elconin

First published in October, 2009.

Leaving everything behind for the Island was Ricky's dream come true. When his happily ever after is not quite what it seems, he discovers that running away means running toward bigger problems.

Trapped on the Island, Ricky must join together with the only people he can trust to help him face his fears and return home. But the only way off the Island is to confront the person who trapped Ricky and his friends in the first place. With countless enemies and true peril staring them down, Ricky's mission to leave this co-called paradise will become a battle for their very lives. (book back blurb)

When Dan first contacted me about reviewing his book, I had to do a little research because I'd never heard of it. A re-telling of Peter Pan, you say? With penis jokes? Since apparently I'm a fourteen-year-old boy on the inside, I couldn't resist. Dan started writing this book when he was fourteen and got it published when he was 19. It's his debut.

First I want to say that it's an excellent and imaginative re-telling. It just totally bastardizes the whole fantasy of Peter Pan to something that's much more horrific than what Disney is willing to tell you. Paradise is equivalent to a lobotomy and the Lost Boys (and Girls) are nowhere near as friendly as they were originally. There's still a giant crocodile (alligator?) that's after Hooke but Hooke isn't a gnarly old man with a vendetta against a teenage boy. He's only a few years younger than I am (although he looks rather worn) but he's still got that vendetta. And for good reason.

The story, from a panoramic view, is pretty damn good. Dan took a familiar story and turned it on its head to appeal to a broader audience that may not like the sappy drama of the original Peter Pan and his Lost Boys. "Wendy"'s a rancid bitch, but for good reason and the "brothers" fight like a married couple. Total update and totally good. And the jokes had be snickering. Not sure what that says about me but there you go. There were snorts.

The issue that I had with it, though, was the writing. I just don't think it's quite "there" yet. Obviously someone felt it was good enough to get published but I'm more inclined to say it was geared towards the story more than the style itself. Personally, none of the writing flaws are fatal and all that I saw are things that can easily be worked out of the writing the more Dan writes.

Basically, many of the flaws I found were more novice flaws. Big of me to say since I don't have a book published (yet) but, in my more seasoned eye (read: as someone that's already wrote my way through college and freelance editing and so on) this is much more juvenile writing with more juvenile mistakes.

The insistence of time was a MAJOR issue for me. Either Ricky had an insane reference for time or he's OCD and counted constantly. It almost felt like Dan didn't know how else to move time forward than to tell how many seconds or minutes or hours passed from one event to the next. It really rubbed me raw right at the beginning when they were crawling through a pitch black cave and Ricky still had a sense of time. Marines in sensory deprivation lose their sense of time but I guess Ricky pwns them.

Another major issue was the insistence of space. Ricky always seemed to know how far away something was, how high a ceiling was. Lateral space was his game. Tape measures for eyeballs, I tell you. There wasn't much imagination in the use of either space or time. Instead of running until his muscles lit on fire, Ricky ran for 12 minutes and about 3 miles. Like I said, the kid either had an insane sense of time and space or was severely OCD.

Another issue was Ricky "seemed" a lot. Everything seemed to be this way or that. The thing with "seemed" is that if used too much, it weakens the writing. I don't want to know what something seemed like. Tell me how it was. You're living it. It was like rubbing sand in your eyes instead of it seemed painful to look at. Removing "seemed" or any of its variations gives the reader a much more immediate reaction and feeling to the writing and makes the characters stronger. Ricky won't seem like an indecisive schmo if he was more definitive in his assertions.

There was also much more telling than there was showing and Dan didn't leave much to the reader's imagination when explaining a lot of things. Everything was always so precise that it felt like I was getting information dictated to me instead of being allowed to imagine what it was all like. That's a mistake a lot of young writers (and many older ones, for that matter) make because they have such specific ideas for their works and they want to make sure the reader gets it exactly right. Thing is, allowing the reader the freedom to picture what their reading makes for a more enjoyable read. Otherwise it's like reading directions from Mapquest.

Voice was another thing. Dan has an excellent knack for writing a teenage boy (if he didn't, we'd have issues) and he has a wonderful way with words that many writers would be jealous of. Unfortunately, from what I saw, he tried to balance the two so in dialogue we have some great teenage boy voice but in first person POV exposition, it's a much more intelligent, highfalutin voice that doesn't match the character. I can understand why he'd want to demonstrate the two (shit, if I wrote like that, I'd want to too) but it made reading a little difficult, as if Ricky was a little schizophrenic. When writing in the voice of a character, it needs to stay in character, in or out of voice. I had the same issue with Maggie Stiefvater's work. I felt the exposition of the inner dialogue didn't match what was coming out of the characters' mouths. Same issue here (but much less masturbatory and much more natural). It's hard to do. It's an issue I struggle with. As much as I want to write in my "default" voice, if it doesn't match the character, I can't. With time I think Dan will be able to balance this out much better.

Now that the critique is over, I can say the story was definitely good and I can see from Dan's writing that he has absolutely amazing potential. He's young and he has some kinks to work out of his writing. None of the issues I named are fatal and all can be easily removed with more writing, more editing, more critique groups. I wish I had the talent at 19 than Dan does. If he keeps working at it, keeps writing, he'll hone his craft to such a fine-tuned violin that people will be drooling over his work. I feel confident that he'll only get better from here.

But in the meantime, I'd recommend this one simply for the plot. It's a great re-telling, very imaginative and has zombies. Peter Pan and zombies. Bet you never thought of that one, did you?

Field Guide to the Little People by Nancy Arrowsmith

First published in 1977, reprinted by Llewellyn in 2009.

In high summer meadows, nestled in the moors, near old castles, or behind the kitchen stove - these are the places where the Little People may be found.

Make the acquaintance of White Ladies and Red Caps, Church Grims and Hobgolbins, English Fairies, Leprechauns, Sirens, Hey-Hey Men, and all of their strange and mythical kin. Become wise in the ways of these magical creatures, some beautiful and benevolent, others cunning, menacing, or morose.

For many years, this field guide has been as elusive as a Will-o'-the-Wisp. This is the first opportunity for fans to once again own an English-language edition of one of the most revered introductions to elf folk ever written. (book back blurb)

A little about this book: it was originally released in the 70s and then went out of print. Thankfully for it, it developed a huge cult following which then led to its most recent reprinting. Apparently this book was highly sought after for years and those with copies held onto them for dear life (I have a few books like that). After reading it, it's painfully clear why.

There are many, many different types of Little People in this book and while the descriptions are not overly wrought or extensive, they give you just enough information to tantalize you and make you want to dig deeper into some of these creatures.

The amount of research Arrowsmith put into this book is amazing. The stories and information she gathered are all "true" accounts she gathered from traveling all over Europe. They're not stories based on other stories from people but documented from texts she spent years scouring.

The introductions take a little bit to wade through. There are a few, both old from the original book and new to make light of a few things, including how it hasn't been updated (like many YA books are now especially). References to the USSR and Czechoslovakia are made throughout. It's not like people wouldn't know what they were when reading (I mean, it's not rocket science) but is it really worth changing? I think it just gives the book that much more life.

What's also pretty neat is that if you're big into reading about faeries (Stiefvater, Marr, etc.), you read about the ones they write about in this book and it gives you a better understanding of just what they are. They don't have dramatized stories around them. You just get bare-bones "facts" about what they are. You can color in the rest of the picture for yourself.

The drawings are stunning and I've even marked off a couple of the Little People for potential stories later on down the road. Some of them are just so enticing I can't help but write about them. But maybe that's their plan . . .

So if you're looking for a somewhat short and to the point research book about the Little People (not just faeries) or are just generally interested in Them, then be sure to pick up this book. It's one of the most comprehensive and unbiased compendiums of Little People information out there. You don't want to miss is.

2010 Fantasy Reading Challenge

COMPLETED

My reading list for Royal Review's Fantasy Reading Challenge. Since fantasy is such a broad spectrum of a genre and anything fantastical can be considered fantasy (including vampires, zombies and ghosts), I'm going to stick to fantasy outside of any horror aspect for this one. I'll be reading at the Addicted level - 12 fantasy fiction novels.

1. Never After by Dan Elconin
2. Field Guide to the Little People by Nancy Arrowsmith
3. The Looking Glass Wars by Frank Beddor
4. The Soulstealer War: The First Mother's Fire by WL Hoffman
5. Maximum Ride by James Patterson
6. Sea Change by Aimee Friedman
7. Lips Touch Three Times by Laini Taylor
8. Manifest by Artist Arthur
9. The Demon King by Cinda Williams Chima
10. The Exiled Queen by Cinda Williams Chima
11. Jim Henson's Return to Labyrinth #1 by Jake T. Forbes and Chris Lie
12. Jim Henson's Return to Labyrinth #2 by Jake T. Forbes and Chris Lie

13. Jim Henson's Return to Labyrinth #3 by Jake T. Forbes and Chris Lie

14. Jim Henson's Return to Labyrinth #4 by Jake T. Forbes and Chris Lie

(list amended on 4/16/10 in order to accommodate a growing ARC list and so I don't epically fail at the challenge)