Reviews! Hooray!

I've got a few reviews today! Been a while!

Firstly:
Making Money by Terry Pratchett
0552154903 / 978-0552154901
Another story taking place in Ankh Morpork, with lots of delicious goodies - like an Igor, the Patrician, some magicians, and a whole bunch of golems! Oh yes, and that ever so imaginative Moist von Lipwig. Last seen as Postmaster General (from a whole two books ago - Going Postal), he has now been elevated (albeit quite suddenly and not at all of his own making) to running AM's Mint. From one frying pan into the other, some would say! I really do enjoy seeing Vetinari scheme and plot and play puppeteer to the lives of the AM citizens without actually scheming or plotting at all! He's a master, and gee whiz, I can't help but have a bit of a crush on the powerful Patrician! I wasn't expecting the "twist" at the end with regards to the Chief Cashier, and I felt a little disappointed that he turned out to NOT be a vampire. (Whoops! Spoilers!) And whilst I do miss stories about the Witches, or Death, or other random tomfoolery, since the last one was about six books ago, Pratchett never fails to deliver the goods! The hilarious, witty goods!
Four balls of yarn

Secondly:
New Moon by Stephenie Meyer
0316024961 / 9780316024969
I don't get why fangirls around the world love Jacob!!! :P I LOVED Twilight. I thought it was sexy and beautiful and exciting. I DON'T love New Moon, and I was warned! I WILL read Eclipse of course, but this is turning into The Matrix trilogy. One is GREAT, Two is Okay, Three is going to suck big time, I can smell it coming! Anyway, the epic love story of Bella the average, but extremely accident prone, human and Edward, the gorgeous, shiny, forever young, vampire continues...albeit...without Edward for most of the book. Instead, close friend and werewolf-in-training, Jacob becomes the love triangle instigator for Bella, and fans around the world are split into two camps: Bella/Edward and Bella/Jacob. :P Bella mopes around now that Edward has left, but only because he LOVES her...he must sacrifice their love to keep her safe. (I feel like I'm writing about The Doctor and Rose...but I digress!) Bella slowly learns to live without Edward again, but never succeeds, and suddenly old enemies reappear, and new fantasy monsters emerge! Who knew that an entire young community would turn out to be werewolves? Who knew that Bella would develop a death wish in an effort to "hear" Edward's "dad" voice? Who knew that Jacob would suddenly turn 180 and NOT be all mushy gushy over Bella - the girl of his dreams? I guess losing shoes everyday will do that to a guy! Book Two seemed SO MUCH MORE contrived than the fanciful Book One, and that's too bad. I didn't get as much angst out of it this time, although angst OOZED from the pages. The Cullens came back to Forks ever so easily, and it was just all too "pat on the back" for me. Okay, Stephenie Meyer, this is being made into a movie...you've got it made!
Two and a half balls of yarn

Thirdly:
Star Wars: Clone Wars Adventures Volume 10
1593078781 / 978-1593078782
Despite my hate on for the Star Wars prequels, some good has come out of the nonsense. The Star Wars: Clone Wars Adventures comic-book series is one of them! Inspired by the Cartoon Network's Clone Wars cartoons, each volume contains four 10-ish page stories, illustrated in a vivid colour and fast-paced action, with hints of Japanese manga lurking in the background! Funny, action-filled and definitely Star Wars, Dark Horse Books has a GREAT series on the go! The four stories in Volume 10 are easy to read, and as per the usual formula it seems, one focuses directly on a recognizable Jedi Knight (this one features Obi Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker), clone troopers (one lone trooper vs. an army of battle droids!), a secondary Jedi (Ki-Adi-Mundi & Aayla Secura introduce a new [made up] Jedi), and various other Star Wars denizens (farmers on Dantooine!). These books will hold the attention of the most hardcore Star Wars fan, and the newest young boy just discovering that galaxy far, far away.
Four balls of yarn

Fourthly:
Doctor Who: I Am A Dalek by Gareth Roberts
0563486481 / 9780563486480
Having discovered that I need a daily fix of Doctor Who, I've turned to the original novelizations. This is one of them. Labelled a "Quick Read", it is only 104 pages long, with a large sized font, that one would find in children's books for ages 6-8 (granted, Quick Reads have been MARKETED as children's books). The Daleks are back (when will we EVER be REALLY rid of them?), and only Rose and the Doctor can save the day! Of course! :) Fun and fast, it starts off just like a tv episode. Mr. Roberts, having written other Doctor Who novels and also a handful of the television episodes throughout the four seasons, handily captures the characters of the Doctor (as portrayed by the delicious David Tennant) and Rose (the ever lovely Billie Piper), and sends them back to England to save the world from a lone Dalek. It's easy to picture the two of them running around doing whatever Mr. Roberts writes, which makes this book a success. And really, throw a Dalek into the mix, and you've got classic Doctor Who. Bonus points for this line on page 76: It screamed with pleasure and joy, 'Exterminate! Exterminate! Exterminate!' A sweet ending too, one that would make fans nod and say, "Yeah, the Doctor WOULD do that!"
Four balls of yarn

Fifthly:
The Twelve Kingdoms: Sea Of Wind by Fuyumi Ono
9781598169478
If you've ever watched the Japanese anime based on this seven volume series, you'll be pleased to know that the producers got it spot on! Finally translated into English, Fuyumi Ono's series is a delightful and magical epic, that "explores what it meas to truly know yourself in the face of a destiny outside of your control." The first volume dealt with the red-haired heroine of the anime - Yoko, but this second volume is focused entirely on the young balck-haired kirin - Taiki. The Twelve Kingdoms is heavy with Chinese mythology and has a great deal of civil and political unrest in a land where the kings are chosen by heaven with the help of creatures called kirins, born in eggs that fall from trees. Great storms can whisk an egg away to the far off land of Japan, where the egg will "hatch" and a child will be born who knows they do not belong there, but can never understand why. Taiki is such a child, and when he is brought back to the land of Tai, he must start anew and discover his destiny as one who must choose the next king of Tai, and save the country. As with Volume One, the main character must find an inner strength, and goes through many failures in order to succeed. I love this series! Can't wait for Volume Three!
Five balls of yarn!

Coming soon: The Tiger's Egg, Star Wars: Allegiance

Two Books, Two Reviews

I recently finished the two books that Rachel generously purchased for me. Interestingly enough, I found similar themes in them.

Summers At Castle Auburn by Sharon Shinn
044100928X / 9780441009282
A nice easy read, I was quite intrigued by the plot...up until the end.
Much of the story is dedicated to the events surrounding the marriage between the main character's sister and her betrothed. As with many court nuptuals in Elizabethan England and that time, their marriage was simply a political move by both families to form an alliance. Throughout the novel, the protagonist, Corie, discovers that she would rather marry for love, and that she no longer envies her sister's position. Throughout, there is a mystery as to who really loves who, and I found the very end of the book a bland conclusion in the romantic build. After slowly drawing the reader into the story and leaving them on the edge of their seat in hopes of "love conquering all", Sharon Shinn disappoints with a boring, uneventful ending, where the boy DOES get the girl, but a very unromantic way.
A second subplot of enforced slavery of the magical Aliora (think wood nymphs or faeies), only serves to make Corie the selfless heroine that wants nothing for herself, but for others. Her sister, Elisandra, bears a remarkable resemblance to Philippa Gregory's Katherine of Aragon.
All in all, a painless read, but don't expect the delicious romance that is woven into the story to make it's way to the end.
Two and a half balls of yarn


The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory
0007774486 / 9780007774487
I've been wanting to read this for quite a while now. I'm glad that it didn't turn out to suck...to put it bluntly. While I'm not sure just how much of it is fiction and how much is fact, the story of Mary Bolelyn and her sister, the infamous Anne Boleyn, was a fascinating read. Easy to get into, I couldn't put the book down once I'd started. Granted, I had to sleep. However, I stayed up past 3am to finish it last night (this morning). Everything seemed quite believable - the dialogue, the description, the politics and the characters. The rivalry between the sisters for the affection of Henry VIII is complex and very believable. The court politics of the early 1500's were vicious and cut-throat. Family members were no more than business partners, marriages were alliances, daughters were bargaining chips, and sons were prized above all, especially in the royal court. Mary, like Corie in the previous book, eventually learns that she would rather marry for love than for power, and yearns for a "common" life.
Philippa Gregory holds a PhD in 18th century literature, and her expertise shines through with this story of an ambitious family with an even more ambitious daughter. Everyone knows that Anne Boleyn was beheaded by her husband the King, but how many know how she reached that ghastly end?
The Author's Notes include a bibliography, and a small "epilogue" on Mary Boleyn's life. Anyone interested in the Elizabethan era would surely enjoy reading this novel, although I'm sure some would find flaws with the accuracy of history's portrayal. However, for those like myself, who have a strong interest but no real knowledge, The Other Boleyn Girl is an exciting and satisfying read.
Four balls of yarn

ISBN: 0743298853

I JUST finished reading John Connolly's The Book of Lost Things. I have never read him before, and I LOVED IT! It's creepy and dark, but not horror, but still gives you shivers. Very adult fairy tale-ish, as in, fairy tales gone wrong. Very graphic and some gore, but also a gorgeously constructed story, with a slight "coming of age" undertone. David is a twelve year old boy who loses his mother during the war, and must soon deal with a new mother and half-brother after his father re-marries. He is a lover of books and stories, and soon the books begin to talk to him. This is the start of a strange adventure he falls into, one that is dangerous and disturbing, but one that he cannot avoid. In a dark, violent other world, he encounters The Crooked Man, whose fate is tied up in his own. David must find The Book of Lost Things in order to go home, back to a reality that no longer seems so threatnening.
I highly recommend it! Four balls of yarn.
I am also going to read his other books now.