Cover Shout Out - The Splendor Falls by Rosemary Clement Moore

Back in January of this year, I reviewed an excellent novel by a very talented new-to-me author, Rosemary Clement-Moore.  It was The Splendor Falls. 

I've just seen the new US cover they've done for this book and oh my days, it is beyond beautiful.  Look at the pretty:

It suits this novel so well and I'm definitely getting myself a copy with this cover as my life would not be complete without it. 

*hint* this is making my personal MFB fave reviewed books of 2010.

Discord's Apple by Carrie Vaughn

When Evie Walker goes home to spend time with her dying father, she discovers that his creaky old house in Hope's Fort, Colorado is not the only legacy she stands to inherit. Hidden behind the old basement door is a secret and magical storeroom where wondrous treasures from myth and legend are kept safe unit they are needed again. The magic of the storeroom prevents access to any who are not intended to use the items.

Evie must guard the storeroom against ancient and malicious forces, protecting the past and the future even as the present unravels around them. Old heroes and notorious villains alike will rise to fight on her side or to undermine her most desperate gambits. At stake is the fate of the world, and the prevention of nothing less than the apocalypse.

This is such a fantastic concept - when Gav asked me if I'd like a copy, I was nodding so fast, my head almost came off.  But I've savoured it sitting on my shelf and have eventually succumbed to reading it.

We meet Evie as she nears her old home town.  Initially I thought it was modern day world but slowly came to realise that the setting is in fact near-future real world in which America, Russia and China and other nations are lobbing bombs and other nasty things at each other.  There is a lot of unrest on a global scale and the unrest has filtered down to grassroots level now where the local sheriff has roadblocks in the small towns they patrol.  Strangers are eyed with caution and suspicion and you need to carry licences for extra gas (petrol) and it seems that everyone is on edge.  There is talk of ration books and war stamps, Citizen's Watch Groups and checkpoints.  It is not a comfortable world we find ourselves in.

Please read on below the cut as this a long review, with minor spoilers.


 

My Soul to Take by Yrsa Sigurdardottir

Synopsis

A grisly murder is committed at a health resort situated in a recently renovated farmhouse, which turns out to be notorious for being haunted. Attorney Thora Gudmundsdottir is called upon by the owner of the resort - the prime suspect in the case - to represent him. Her investigations uncover some very disturbing occurrences at the farm decades earlier – things that have never before seen the light of day... 

MY SOUL TO TAKE is a chilling, dark and witty crime novel, and a welcome return for Thora, the heroine of the highly-acclaimed LAST RITUALS. 

I recently spotted My Soul To Take at Waterstone's and snatched it up as part of a 3 for 2 deal (the other two are all historical crime) as I had the opportunity to read and review Yrsa's first novel, Last Rituals and remember her sense of humour and her tight plotting very well. 

MSTT is testimony of a job well done to the author and her translators as I don't think I've read any other translated fiction (apart from Arturo Perez Reverte's books) who really work so well in putting you right there, in the midst of this small desolate Icelandic community.  Don't get me wrong, I like Nesbo and Mankell, but MSTT is something very special indeed.

Thora is asked by a client to come and investigate what he calls a building defect on the farm (now a health spa) and when she questions him, it turns out that he's been seeing a ghost.  But then so has some of his staff at the hotel spa.  He claims that the previous owners purposefully didn't disclose this as they knew he wanted to open a holistic spa and hotel and that those staying there would naturally be sensitive to disturbances such as ghosts.  It could mean his ruin.

It makes a weird kind of sense, so Thora bundles her kids off to her ex-husband and drives out to the hotel.  In the meantime the architect her client had hired to design a new annexe gets killed in a most awful way and it is into this chaos that Thora finds herself.

As Thora struggles to deal with her clients' diva-ish behaviour, she does her best to make sense of what exactly he wants her to do about the ghost but then, when it turns out that a text from her client's phone lured the architect to the beach, suspicion falls on him and she has to bend her considerable personality and knowledge and levelheadedness into figuring out the murder, the mystery about the ghost and the overall mystery of the farm the hotel is situated on, combined with the enigma of the families who lived there in the past.

Add to this Thora's lover from Germany turning up and her kids deciding that they can't stand listening to their dad sing "Eye of the Tiger" one more time, and then taking Thora's caravan and driving off with it.  Bad enough that it's her kids doing it, but they also take her son's pregnant girlfriend with them...

Yrsa Sigurdardottir is an amazingly fresh voice in Icelandic crime.  She writes engaging humourous characters that feel so real.  The element of creepiness is there, and although Thora herself is levelheaded and more likely to laugh at a ghost than believe in it, as the atmosphere of the area and the crimes she uncovers come to the fore, there are several back-shivery moments.

I can't praise My Soul to Take enough - it is darkly funny with off-kilter characters that stay with you long after the book ends.  The translators do a really ace job putting across the feel of the landscape, the awfulness of the two modern day crimes  committed and the lingering unease of the mystery surrounding an awful long ago act by a desperate man as well as the the quirkiness of the characters. 

I also think Ms. Siguradardottir's own sense of humour and sense of michief comes to the fore in her writing and it carries over really well into translation. I'd recommend My Soul to Take if you are in a mood for a very well written crime novel with a variety of twist and turns, which is a deeply satisfying read, or, if you're interested in reading her debut, do try Last Rituals and then go out and buy My Soul to Take. You won't be disappointed.

The Painted Boy by Charles de Lint

Jay Li should be in Chicago, finishing high school and working at his family's restaurant. Instead, as a born member of the Yellow Dragon Clan - part human, part dragon, like his grandmother - he is on a quest even he does not understand. His journey takes him to Santo del Vado Viejo in the Arizona desert, a town overrun by gangs, haunted by members of other animal clans, perfumed by delicious food, and set to the beat of Malo Malo, a barrio rock band whose female lead guitarist captures Jay's heart. He must face a series of dangerous, otherworldly - and very human - challenges to become the man, and dragon, he is meant to be. 

I’ve not read a Charles de Lint in ages.  So when I saw someone on Twitter mention his newest novel: The Painted Boy and then, by happenstance, spotted it at Forbidden Planet I grabbed it, paid for it, stuffed it into my bag and carried it home.  All the way stroking it and murmurring things like “my precious” “my love” “my only”.  What? No one else does this?

The thing about Charles de Lint’s writing is how quickly and how easily you are drawn into the story.  I have never in my life been to Arizona.  Of course, I know where it is, I know it’s a bit desert-like and a few peripheral things about it.  Yet within the first few chapters of The Painted Boy I knew Santo Del Vado Viejo very well indeed.  I could close my eyes and imagine myself right there, having lunch at the local restaurant, listening to the band Malo Malo strut their stuff and take long walks in the desert with Ramon to be shown the sights. 

Even more importantly than the setting, it was very easy for me to like our main character Jay and to identify with him.  Here’s a kid who has grown up with a mystery etched into his skin. A golden yellow dragon appeared on his back one day as a younger child and its appearance heralded that he is to be one of the guardians of the emperor.  Of course there are no more emperors but there are people and places in need of protection.  So Jay sets off to travel the country to find himself.  He goes with his grandmother’s blessing, leaving his parents behind, along with other responsibilities.  A word about his grandmother: she’s a tiny fierce Chinese lady who seems to rule the area of China Town they live in, in Chigago.  She took Jay under her wing when his dragon got made manifest and she’s been teaching him the fundamentals of looking after himself and his dragon, without actually managing to explain to him the nitty gritty of what it means being part of the Yellow Dragon Clan.  

To be honest, I felt that Jay’s journey could’ve become pretty dull.  In a sense him taking some time away from his family meant that it was a chance for him to get drunk, party, have a great time, with just a bit of character development to keep the average reader happy.  But, instead of this, Mr. De Lint throws Jay in the deep end.  No sooner does he step off the bus  in Santo del Vado Viejo does a group of the local gangsters spot him and chase him.  He makes it across the bridge, leaving the one group of gangsters behind...only to find himself running for his life from another group of gangsters.  He successfully hides from them and makes friends with Rosalie who works at La Maravilla, the local restaurant.  

I loved Jay and Rosalie’s instant friendship.  It was instinctive and natural, with a lot of good humour right from the start.  Rosalie introduces him to Tio who runs and owns La Maravilla and Tio too takes to Jay who seems honest and charming and forthright.  Jay starts working at La Maravilla as the chef, waiter, busboy, basically anything that needs doing.  The kid’s a natural.  

Rosalie’s friend, Anna however sees the tattoo on Jay’s back and immediately they wonder if they’ve done the right thing taking in this boy they know nothing of.  Is he a gangbanger from Chicago.  Is he from one of the Asian gangs the Latino gangs are hearing so much about?  

Jay tries explaining to Tio, Anna and Rosalie about the mark on his back, that it’s not in fact a tattoo but something that appeared overnight when he was younger.  He explains to them about his grandmother, the heritage of the Dragon clans and specifically about the Yellow Dragon Clan. 

There is belief and disbelief, of course.  But when it becomes clear that someone in the bario thinks that Jay is more than what he appears to be, and he gets called to confront someone called El Tigre, we have to side with his new friends.  The story is so farfetched - can Jay really be a dragon in human form? 

Mr. De Lint works so hard in creating this sense of wonder but somewhere at the back of your mind, you can’t help but think: is it real?  Is Jay really part dragon?  Do we believe him or do we disbelieve him?  In a sense CDL plays the unreliable narrator as we are never given a definitive straight outright answer.  Instead we are shown and our disbelief makes place for an “I thought that all along” moment. 

Jay is a fantastic main character to side with.  Intelligent, funny, worried about his sanity and his growing attraction to Anna, his voice is strong and clear.  We want to go on this journey with him as he is so engaging.  We want to find out about the mysteries he’s involved in and more than anything, we want him to succeed.  Admittedly we’re not entirely sure what he has to do in order to succeed but as this becomes clear, as the plot develops and CDL throws in more and more spanners in the works, we get an inkling. 

It is rare for me to want to throw a book aside out of sheer frustration because you want things to be a bit easier for the main character.  The only other person I think I’ve done this with in the past is Robin Hobb’s books.  You want Jay to succeed, to find himself and realise his power and potential.  But at the same time you do not want him to lose his humanity and that great sense of humour he has, in the face of adversity which just seems to keep on growing and growing. 

The Painted Boy is mythical fiction at its best.  In fact, I’d go so far as to say that this is by far one of the best books Charles de Lint has written in a long while.  Don’t get me wrong, all this man’s books are great reads, but TPB has that bit of extra magic that genuinely has you look up at the sky and wonder and yearn for the little mysteries to show themselves. 

He weaves together Chinese, Latino, Native American and Celtic mythologies throughout The Painted Boy and gives us a world mythology that works beautifully. Our characters are teens and young people, and in theory this makes it YA but I’m worried that people who don’t read YA may pass this by and honestly, you would be doing yourself a disservice.  If you are a fan of mythology and legends and incredibly good writing, do buy yourself / your partner /  your friend(s) copies of The Painted Boy.  It’s some of the best storytelling I’ve read this year.  

Strike a deal with a hellion called Sharon - Press Release

Taken from Fuel Your Photography - The Crossroads 

Gary McMahon and Sharon Ring sign author/agent contract.

UK, December 10^th 2010 – Picture the scene. Gary McMahon arrives at the crossroads in Manchester to meet with Sharon Ring, who might just make him the best guitar player in the world is acting as Gary’s agent in regard to two titles, The Quiet Room and Rain Dogs.

Gary is widely acknowledged as a powerful, new talent in British horror fiction. He received a British Fantasy Society nomination in 2009 for his first novel, Rain Dogs, and his short fiction has appeared in numerous anthologies, including The Mammoth Book of Best New Horror Vols. 19 & 20 (ed. by Stephen Jones). Tim Lebbon calls him a “bloody good writer indeed... heartfelt, talented, soulful... serious and mature.” Conrad Williams describes Gary as “a skilful writer... an able cartographer of these badlands.” With three novels already under his belt, plus two more mass market titles confirmed for release in 2011, Gary is set to reach a wider genre-loving audience. 

On the subject of his new author/agent contract with Sharon, Gary was heard to say, “I’m hoping to learn some mighty guitar riffs and take the rock world by storm but, if she can get me a handsome deal on these two titles, then I guess that’ll do just as nicely. The only thing I’m worried about is that thing about signing the contract in blood whilst walking naked in a circle near a gibbet at a crossroads.”

Sharon’s reply to this was, “I really don’t know what all this guitar business is about; I just want to get the best deal possible for this author and his outstanding horror fiction. Guitars have got nothing to do with it.”

A full list of Gary’s published work can be found at http://www.garymcmahon.com/2008/04/publications.html.

All enquiries regarding this deal should be directed to Sharon Ring: sharonlring@gmail.com.  

The Thirteen Secrets - Book Trailer

We do so love pretty shiny scary things and this decidedly spooky but wonderful book trailer for Michelle Harrison's new book The Thirteen Secrets out next year, is right up our street.

Garro: Oath of Moment by James Swallow (Audio Book)

In surviving the horrors on board the Eisenstein, Nathaniel Garro proved his courage and absolute loyalty to the Emperor. On his return to Terra, Garro is despatched on a mission of even greater importance – a mission given to him by Malcador the Sigillite himself. He soon finds himself back amongst the stars and on the fields of battle, thrust into a warzone where the Ultramarines are believed to be battling a greenskin invasion. Once again Garro must fight for survival, but now he also fights to achieve a higher purpose...

Garro: Oath of Moment picks up the story of Nathaniel Garro, the man of the hour of James Swallow’s first Horus Heresy novel “The Flight of the Eisenstein”, and jumps in at the battle for Calth as Imperial forces and the Ultramarines battle the turncoat Word Bearers. It’s here, amongst the death and fire of battle that the grey armoured figure of Garro emerges, implacable and deadly.

How he comes to be there and the crux of his new mission is revealed in a series of smoothly integrated flashback sequences that compliment rather than detract from the pace of the story. Garro reveals his purpose to the warrior he has come to recruit, but finds that the loyalty he holds so dear now threatens his mission as the Word Bearers close in. The action is vividly described, with the sound effects enhancing the experience without competing against Toby Longworth’s narration.

Garro was an engaging, heroic character in Flight of the Eisenstein, and it’s good to have him back again. Grim, deadly and bearing a righteous hatred for the traitor Legions who have followed Horus, he represents everything that’s cool about loyalist Space Marines, and his new mission from Malcador is positively bursting with potential for some great storytelling.

For me, this is by far Toby’s best performance to date, and he brings James’ story to life. I cued it up on my iPod while I was writing this, and I’ve been sitting here doodling Space Marines on my notepad for the last half an hour, listening to it for the 3^rd time, unable to stop myself even if I wanted to. If you’re looking to give 40K audio a go, this is what you’re looking for – you don’t need to have read Flight of the Eisenstein, although you’ll have a much better feel for Garro’s character if you have.

The second instalment, Garro: Legion of One, is out next April, which feels like a painfully long time to wait when you all you want to do is find out what happens next!

You can listen to an extract of Oath of Moment here.

Vampire Academy: Last Sacrifice by Richelle Mead

Warning Spoilers!

Synopsis

The final heart wrenching episode at St Vladimir's Academy.

Rose is on trial for high treason and the death of Queen Tatiana. Someone is trying to frame her and it looks like even Dimitri might not be able to save her now.

So, here we are at the close of the Vampire Academy series and Rose is, as usual, in trouble. Luckily for her she's got friends at court and doesn't have to languish in jail for long. A carefully masterminded plan sees Rose, Dimitri and Sydney heading off to West Virginia to hide out. However, Rose isn't a safety kind of girl. She's determined to follow up the note that Ambrose passed to her at her pre-trial and find the person who could unlock Lissa's future. Unfortunately, only Rose thinks this is a good idea and so her struggle begins. I was pleased to see that Rose is taken out of court and away from Lissa to work relatively alone although they soon seem to gather quite an entourage. What with that, Lissa's bond and Adrian's dream walking abilities all the characters are fully involved in this last book.

This is a difficult review to write as I'm keen not to give away much of the plot so as not to spoil it. However, so much happens in this final book that what I will say won't effect the enjoyment. Victor and Robert reappear and their help is invaluable to Rose. They all head off on their mission but Victor and Robert have their own agenda and reasons for trying to help Lissa. Back at court Lissa, Christian, Eddie and Abe try to find out who really did kill Tatiana. To help buy Rose some time Lissa is nominated as one of the possibilities to become the next Moroi queen. The strength of Last Sacrifice is similar to Blood Promise; both Rose and Lissa's plots are equally engrossing. Lissa has to undergo a series of trials which are traditionally set to ensure that she is up to the task of ruling. These tasks really show how far Lissa has come as a character. She's adept and confident now rather than hiding behind Rose or worrying about the effects of spirit.

Meanwhile, Rose's efforts start to get results but her plan also begins to unravel. She's juggling her feelings for Adrian and, of course, for Dimitri. It becomes obvious that she's going to have to choose what's right for her. I really admired the way that Last Sacrifice didn't try to give all characters a happy ending. Like life, there are winners and losers and Mead isn't keen on sending all her characters off into the sunset. There's one in particular that I would love to see carry on in a spin-off series as I'm betting they would have an interesting back story.

I enjoyed Last Sacrifice enormously, it was everything I was hoping it would be. I must admit that in the closing chapters I had tears in my eyes. Rose stays true to herself, I never felt that she was compromising her beliefs or adapting to suit others. Sure, she grows and matures but she remains that impulsive girl that sold the series to me in book one. Lissa also surprised me in this book. She has grown more confident and self-assured but her monarchy trials intrigued me and I found that I looked forward to them as much as Rose's story. The series as a whole has been a pleasure to read. I was slightly daunted when I looked at them all a few weeks ago but each book has zipped by and I found I was glad I had the next book to hand. In terms of a vampire series, Vampire Academy is one of the best I've read. Obviously having a strong female lead is what kept my attention but it also has a fine story arc that holds the series together, strong secondary characters and brilliant world building. I hope that these gorgeous new covers bring new followers to the world of Vampire Academy.

The Bookette's British Book Challenge

MFB has never yet taken part in a reading challenge of any sort.  2011 will be different.

We've decided to sign up for The Bookette's British Books Challenge.  And I'm totally stoked.  I am a big fan of books - I don't care who they are written by as long as they are good and fun and tell a good story.  But the one thing we've noticed these past few years is that we're getting a lot of US books bought in and you know what, Britain is so small, we really do need to support our home-grown talent.

So this challenge is all about that - we'll still be reading books from all over the world, but we want to highlight some Brit titles - be it picture books, kids, YA and adult, across all genres on the blog so we're throwing our weight behind Becky's initiative and we're signing up for the British Book Challenge.

The Bookette mentioned this when we were at Walker together a few weeks ago and I remember thinking: a lot of work, it sounds cool...but we'll see.  And I have seen and I am smitten.  I reckon we can EASILY read 50 Brit books on MFB in 2011.

What books am I thinking of right now - just off the top of my head:

• Rockaholic by CJ Skuse - contemporary YA 
• The Midnight Mayor and The Neon Court by Kate Griffin - adult urban fantasy 
• Shadows of the Moon by Zoe Marriott - fantasy for YA readers 
• Skulduggery Pleasant series - Derek Landy - crimey horrory novels for younger readers 
• Awakening by SJ Bolton - crime thriller for adults 
• Being Billy by Phil Earle - contemporary YA 
• Tyme's End by BR Collins - contemporary YA horror 
• The Iron Witch by Kaz Mahoney - urban fantasy for YA readers 

And then there are the older books I've owned for a long time that I'd really like to tackle.  But bear in mind, these titles are just books from me, personally.  I've not even asked Sarah, Mark or Gav for their imput.  I reckon it's going to be a cracking and fun challenge.

Pop by Becky's site and check out further info on the British Books Challenge and consider joining.  It's open internationally too, which is pretty darn cool.

12 Deaths of Christmas - A Chainsaw Gang Event

Photo from Harry Snowden's remarkable online portfolio

On the first day of Christmas,
my true love sent to me
A corpse hanging from a pear tree. 

All of us here at MFB are very excited to be the first stop on the 12 Deaths of Christmas event dreamed up by the Chainsaw Gang after the recent Crystal Palace Children’s Festival.  We had the opportunity to ask the group a set of questions in the spirit of the 12 deaths of Christmas.  Well, the group IS called The Chainsaw Gang! 


Check out the varied answers to my question below. 

Prospero Burns by Dan Abnett

The Emperor is enraged. Primarch Magnus the Red, of the Thousand Sons Legion, has made a catastrophic mistake and endangered the safety of Terra. With no other choice, the Emperor charges Leman Russ, Primarch of the Space Wolves, with the apprehension of his brother from the Thousand Sons’ home world of Prospero. This planet of sorcerers will not be easy to overcome, but Russ and his Space Wolves are not easily deterred. With wrath in his heart, Russ is determined to bring Magnus to justice and the events that decide the fate of Prospero are set in motion.

In this, the companion piece to Graham McNeill’s A Thousand Sons, Dan Abnett looks to the story of the Space Wolves and their path to the destruction of Prospero.

PB opens with an intriguing chapter told from the perspective of Fith, a tribal warrior, as a neighbouring tribe invades their land with murder in their hearts, seeking to kill the bad omen that Fith’s people are sheltering. It’s written in an unusual but very engaging style that hearkens to the old oral storytelling styles, and as such cleverly presages the story to come.

The bad omen, as it turns out, is Hawser/ Ahmad Ibn Rustah, a remembrancer whose stricken ship was interpreted as the foul omen. His fortunes change though, and he wakes in the Fang, the mountain-fortress of the Vlka Fenryka- the Space Wolves- surrounded by the grim, brooding killers that comprise Russ’s Legion. There he discovers exactly how much the path of his life has changed, and begins to learn the ways of the Wolves in his new role as skjald to the Third Company. It’s a role that affords him unprecedented access to the Wolves as an outsider, including the rare and terrifying privilege of accompanying them into battle.

It’s a story of several parts, held together by the thread of Hawser’s past, facets of which are slowly pieced together to reveal a deeply embedded secret, the truth of which will resonate all the way to the ruin of Prospero.

It’s an unexpected approach, but it’s also a clever one- with Hawser seeing things from the point of view of an outsider, Dan’s able to put across facets of life amongst the Wolves that perhaps would not have been considered significant or as telling if the main character had been a Wolf. It’s these, the smaller things, and the philosophy behind them that builds the atmosphere and lets Dan paint a bold picture of the Wolves at the time of the Heresy, without watering down their mystique or their trademark ferocity. It’s subtly done, fast and well executed, particularly given that the main character isn’t a Space Marine as you may have expected.

Most importantly, it was definitely worth the wait!

You can read an extract of Chapter 1 here...

Vampire Academy: Spirit Bound by Richelle Mead

WARNING: SPOILERS!

Synopsis

Dimitri gave Rose the ultimate choice. And she made the wrong one… After a long and heartbreaking journey to Dimitri’s birthplace in Siberia, Rose Hathaway has finally returned to St. Vladimir’s Academy — and to her best friend, Lissa. But Rose’s heart still aches for Dimitri, and she knows he’s out there, somewhere. She failed to kill him when she had the chance. And now her worst fears are about to come true— Dimitri has tasted her blood, and now he is hunting her. Only this time, he won’t rest until Rose joins him… forever.

I enjoyed Blood Promise so much that I wasn't sure if Spirit Bound would match up. The first page throws us straight into the action with a letter from Strigoi stalker Dimitri and Rose's Guardian trials that will see her graduate from St. Vladimir's. Rose is hoping that there may be a chance that she'll be assigned to Lissa but is realistic that after running off to Russia she may not be seen as the most reliable choice. The trials are as exciting as any, "real," fight that Rose gets into but her graduation marks the beginning of a difficult time for her.

Rose, Lissa and co head for court but it isn't long before Rose wants to try and break Victor out from jail as he may have the key to how to cure a Strigoi and bring them back to life. Rose manages to convince others to come along on her crazy plan but it soon gets out of hand. Eventually they end up in Las Vegas but the plan didn't quite go as expected. Adrian is dismayed to learn what Rose is trying to achieve and I must admit I really felt for him in this book. Rose believes that she's trying to move past her love for Dimitri but the very fact that she's attempting to find a way to bring him back says otherwise. Poor Adrian helps because he loves her and in fact even Adrian's mother, Daniella, is supportive of their relationship. Throughout Spirit Bound Rose strings him along somewhat by keeping secrets and standing him up. Rose always has a good reason or strong belief that she's doing the right thing by him and this just about prevented me from getting angry with her but still - poor guy!

Alongside everything, Moroi politics continue to be messy. The constant threat to the Moroi race means that people want action and are arguing between protecting themselves or getting more Guardians to do the job. Rose, either physically or through her bond with Lissa, has good insight into what's going on and this helps her relationship with Queen Tatiana become more heated. This conflict results in some tense scenes including one where Rose is brought in front of the council to give evidence that has far-reaching results. Meanwhile Lissa is checking out Lehigh college and is confronted by Dimitri and his gang. I'm not going to spoil this for you but needless to say this turns the book on its head.

I had a set idea how things would go from this point onwards but I was completely wrong. Politics and personal feelings get mixed up into a whirlwind and the pace is extraordinary until the end of the book. Ultimately, I did prefer Blood Promise although Spirit Bound is an excellent book. I think I enjoy Rose out on her own, away from Court and school as she's a wild character and neither of those places seem to suit her. She could settle in court but I don't feel that, at the end of this book, she's ready. Rose is an endearing and flawed heroine who's matured greatly in the last two books but I'm pleased to say still has her rebellious streak. As many questions were posed as settled and there are a myriad of threads to tie off in Last Sacrifice - so many in fact that I wonder how Richelle Mead will manage it.

Hunger by Jackie Morse Kessler

Lisabeth Lewis has a black steed, a set of scales, and a new job: she’s been appointed Famine. How will an anorexic seventeen-year-old girl from the suburbs fare as one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse?

Traveling the world on her steed gives Lisa freedom from her troubles at home: her constant battle with hunger, and her struggle to hide it from the people who care about her. But being Famine forces her to go places where hunger is a painful part of everyday life, and to face the horrifying effects of her phenomenal power. Can Lisa find a way to harness that power — and the courage to battle her own inner demons?

I know Jackie Kessler through some her adult novels she's worked on in the past with writing partner Caitlin Kittredge. I loved these (superhero novels!) and so when I got the opportunity to read Hunger, Jackie's forray into the YA market, I jumped at the chance.

Let's be clear from the start: Hunger is a slender volume. I was hesitant. Could I be entertained enough by something this slim? Within a few pages of reading Hunger, I had no doubt that it would hold my attention and give me something to think about, long after I had finsihed reading it.

We meet Lisa at one of the lowest points we can meet anyone - on the night of her attempted suicide. Death steps in to intervene, offering her the role of Famine, one of the four riders of the Apocalypse. Needless to say Lisa is a bit unsure about this deal. Does she take the deal and become one of Death's Riders or if she turns it down, he'll let her be and she dies. Does she actually want to die? And what would it entail becoming a rider and really, is this real or is she just halucinating quite badly?

Lisa decides to take the deal. She accepts the scales and the black horse that comes as part of her new Office. But then what?

As we learn more about Lisa we see why Death (who looks surprisingly like Kurt Cobain) chose her. Lisa suffers from anorexia. In order for her to be Famine, Death expects her to fully understand the complexities of being hungry. That doesn't just mean only physical hunger either. Lisa's in a tough place personally with anorexia being an outward manifestation of how deeply unhappy she is at home. Her mum is overly busy with a variety of charities and organisations, leaving her father in charge at home. He in turn is lovely, but a bit of a control freak. She turns her back on her best friend who confronts her about her anorexia and instead decides to become friends with a girl who suffers from bulemia.

I felt deeply uncomfortable about the idea of a main character suffering from something such as anorexia and wondered how I would be able to identify with her. It is testimony to Ms. Kessler's writing that my concerns were completely brushed aside and Lisa's ordeal became my ordeal, as did her successes.

Lisa is a wonderfully complex and interesting character. This is as much a coming of age story as it is a story about battling your inner demons and anorexia. It is overcoming the voice in your head urging you to do nasty things to yourself and it is about friendship and family. It is also about growing up and standing up for yourself and the things that you believe in. It is also facing down the things you hate and fear the most.

Lisa's journey is one that had me welling up more than once. Also, it almost had me being sick on a train. The scene where she realises the destructive relationship her so-called friend has with food and the intense description of her friend gorging and then bringing up the food - it was nasty. I came close to needing a little brown bag on the train. However, it is this scene that is so pivotal in the book where things go "ping" in Lisa's head and she realises a great many things and truths about herself on a personal level as well as the embodiment of Famine. Especially when Lisa realises her own worth and that of Famine's, and she decides to stand up for herself not only against War but also against the Thin Voice in her head. Utterly epic. I loved it.

I enjoyed Hunger. I thought it was a deeply moving and thoughtprovoking novel, one that was more than it's parts. It had a magical realism quality to it which I could not fault. It would have been very easy for the author to tumble this book into a narrow ravine of misery but it's not Jackie's style. Helped along by Death's dry and laconic sense of humour and Lisa's own stumblings as a novice Famine, Hunger manages to be clever, funny, poignant, uplifting and life-affirming whilst also being a serious commentary on eating disorders, focussing here on anorexia, something that the author had to deal with as a younger person.

Do pop by Jackie's website where there are some interviews with Death. Also read my friends The Booksmugglers' site for a further review of Hunger and Jackie's interview with Death. Hunger is out now and should be available via Amazon.

The next novel in the series is Rage, due out in April 2011.

Vampire Academy: Blood Promise by Richelle Mead

WARNING! SPOILERS!

Synopsis

How far will Rose go to keep a promise?

The recent Strigoi attack at St. Vladimir's Academy was the deadliest ever in the school's history, claiming the lives of many. Even worse, the Strigoi took some of their victims with them - including Dimitri. He'd rather die than be one of them, and now Rose must abandon her best friend, Lissa-the one she has sworn to protect no matter what-and keep the promise Dimitri begged her to make long ago.

But with everything at stake, how can she possibly destroy the person she loves most?

This is my favourite book of the series so far. There's so much to love! Rose has left Lissa and St. Vladamir's to fulfill her promise to Dimitri - not to let him wander the earth as a Strigoi. However, it's one thing to make the decision to walk away from Lissa and everything she's worked for to graduate as a Guardian but another to track down a single Strigoi. She heads straight for Russia guessing that he would head for the familiar ground of his home town. Her first problem is to work out where that town might be so she hangs around nightspots in St. Petersburg trying to locate the local Moroi population hoping that she can find information on Dhampir towns in Siberia.

Alongside her search she also finds herself killing the odd Strigoi and we meet Sydney, an Alchemist (an ancient profession of humans who keep Morois and Dhampirs secret from humans hence protecting them) who's not too happy at the body count she's had to clean up. I loved Sydney for the very fact that she's not overly pleased at having to deal with Rose, Moroi or Dhampir in general. She treats Rose like an annoying wrinkle in her day so is more than unhappy that she has to accompany her to see Dimitri's family. I adored watching Rose discovering more and more of Russia. Although she's dealing with incredible grief she's still got the same spirit and drive. Her conversations with new character Abe are hysterical. Despite the fact that he appears to be an important villain in Dimitri's home town she insists on calling him, "old man," and refuses to be bullied. When Rose finally meets up with Dimitri it couldn't be more exciting. I couldn't imagine what he was going to be like; he was part familiar and part complete stranger but he hadn't forgotten his attraction for Rose. I liked that Meads makes Dimitri a committed Strigoi and not a tortured soul. He has no problems being heartless and ruthless - all the more exciting in terms of storyline.

Alongside the action in Russia we have the bond to enable us to check up on Lissa and the gang. Adrian frequently arrives in Rose's dreams to check up on her although she refuses to give away her location. Lissa has her own set of problems and these were as exciting a read as Rose's story. A new head has arrived at St. Vladimir and with him he's brought his son and daughter, Reed and Avery. Lissa gradually becomes more unstable and unpredictable putting a strain on her relationship with Christian. But is her behaviour to do with her use of spirit and its debilitating side effects? I was engrossed with Lissa in Blood Promise. In fact, I think both Lissa and Rose, as characters, benefited from being apart. I found, "acting out," Lissa more fascinating to begin with than the one who always does the right thing.

There's so much to get your teeth in with Blood Promise. I'm bubbling over to tell you how great the fight scenes are involving Rose and Dimitri. There's even more mythology to enjoy including a meeting between Rose and another shadow kissed couple. Their meeting will have repercussions well beyond this book and I got an inkling of what might happen in Spirit Bound. Honestly, I'm not sure how the rest of the series will top this book. It's pure satisfaction from beginning to end.