Crystal Palace Children's Festival - 23rd October

It was pure fluke that I got to go to this event yesterday.  I was meant to be around town with a good friend of mine but she rang me and cried off with the dreaded lurgy.  So Mark and I flung on some clothes and headed up the road (literally 2 minute drive) to hang out with a bunch of utterly amazing guys and girls who brought the whole festival together.

The books I took with to get signed

Naturally I took all the books I could find by attending authors and got them all signed.  I also bought a truckload more - mostly picture books for me and my god-daughters.   Well, mostly for me, to be honest!

The books I bought and had signed

The one display of books for older readers. 

Sarah McIntyre looking very pleased after her talk 

The Stripey Horse and his friends are drawn by creator Karen Wall whilst Jim Helmore chatted to the kids about their books.

Loot bag! I now own one!

The smalls in the audience utterly captivated by the storytellers. 

Guy Bass chatting about Secret Santa - Agent of XMAS

Mark and I sat in on Guy Bass's talk about Christmas and his new book I received from Stripes to review.  I am so glad we did - I was rocking with laughter at his antics.  Incredibly funny, Guy instantly struck a rapport with his young audience.  Now, when I read Secret Santa for review, I know exactly how the voices are supposed to sound so I'll be able to read it in the exact tone.

After Guy's talk, there was a lunch break.  Mark and I had a quick bite to eat and also hung around the nearly Pet Shop and checked out some lovely reptiles. 

So pretty!

Albino reptile whose long name I completely forget but who is exceedingly expensive but very pretty.

We next headed for the library to sit in on the Horror Talk hosted by some members of the Chainsaw Gang: Sarwat Chadda, Alex Bell, Sam Enthoven, Steve Feasey, Jon Mayhew& Alexander Gordon Smith.  

The talk was very informal - everyone introduced themselves and the books they had written, also mentioning the long / short road to their eventual publication.  There was an interesting mix of adults / kids / teens in the audience.  Because things were so informal, it was really like sitting in on a long rambling chat about writing and getting published with some of your mates.  Questions came spontaneously from the audience and the conversation flowed easily.  I think this may have been the first time some of the Chainsaw Gang actually appeared together and I have to say, they all really ran with each other's comments, filling it on and expanding on it with their own insights and things.  The core topics really were: know what you want to write - fill the book with stuff that interests you and remember everything comes back to the characters, but also do your research when you want to send your writing out.  Find out who represents (agents) the books you write and what publishing house accepts unsolicited manuscripts for the genre you're writing in.   It was great seeing some of the coolest people in the industry chatting about something they love so much.  It made a big impact on quite a few of the audience. 

Alexander Gordon Smith showing off some props from his Lockdown novels. 

Sam Enthoven chatting about his novels Crawlers, The Black Tattoo and Tim: Defender of the Earth. 

Jon Mayhew giving us some lip about Mortlock, his debut novel from Bloomsbury

Steve Feasey striking a thoughtful post during the proceedings. 

Sarwat Chadda contemplating how to make the Chainsaw Gang even scarier.  

Final picture - Alex Millway signing one of his Yeti books whilst his daughter looks on.

This is my second Crystal Palace Children's Festival I attended and I have to say that the event has grown.  Alex Millway, the owners of Bookseller Crow on the Hill, and all the other authors and attendees and helpers, including South Norwood Public Library, deserve a massive thank you for hosting these fantastic events.  There were comic book workshops and Manga workshops which I didn't get the chance to attend but all I can say is, from the attendance and the enthusiasm of those taking part, the day was a great success.  I am incredibly proud of this small festival as it has so many legs it will no doubt grow into a larger festival quite soon.  I had a wonderful time, getting to listen to some great storytellers read from their books.  It was also so much fun watching the smalls get involved with the storytelling.  The parents too, seemed to have a great time.  Their patience was commendable and I really do hope that yesterday created a whole new batch of eager readers and storytellers.

A big thank you to all the organisers and I can't wait for the 2011 event.  Or is that too soon to talk about it?

Dark Matter by Michelle Paver

Synopsis:

'What is it? What does it want? Why is it angry with me?'



January 1937.


Clouds of war are gathering over a fogbound London. Twenty-eight year old Jack is poor, lonely and desperate to change his life. So when he's offered the chance to be the wireless operator on an Arctic expedition, he jumps at it.


Spirits are high as the ship leaves Norway: five men and eight huskies, crossing the Barents Sea by the light of the midnight sun. At last they reach the remote, uninhabited bay where they will camp for the next year. Gruhuken.


But the Arctic summer is brief. As night returns to claim the land, Jack feels a creeping unease. One by one, his companions are forced to leave. He faces a stark choice. Stay or go.


Soon he will see the last of the sun, as the polar night engulfs the camp in months of darkness. Soon he will reach the point of no return - when the sea will freeze, making escape impossible.


And Gruhuken is not uninhabited. Jack is not alone.

Something walks there in the dark.

This was my first ever Michelle Paver book.  I read it in one sitting.  Cover to cover.  Then I went to the Orion's Children's Party, met the author and felt like I should declare my love to her.  In fact, I think I did. Sorry, Michelle!

Michelle Paver is well known for her award winning children's series: The Chronicles of Ancient Darkness.  I felt a complete idiot for not reading her before, but have to say, that on the one hand I'm not sorry because I went into Dark Matter with no idea what to expect - both in story / narrative and writing style.

Jack's story is one of an outsider trying to fit in with a crowd of ambitious wealthy young men who are occasionally so wrapped in their lofty ideals that they sort-of forget that not everyone had the opportunities offered to them in the same way they did.  So, although they take to Jack, there is evidence of the social gap between the group and Jack. Jack being a serious and studious type of person, internalises this quite a bit and it is through the intimacy of his diary entries really give us the opportunity to get to know Jack very well indeed.

We realise he is at heart a good guy and not as stiff and socially awkward as he may seem.

What I really enjoyed about Ms. Paver's writing is how finely plotted Dark Matter is.  Every bit of information revealed, every bit of foreshadowing we are handed, is plotted just so, for maximum effect.  As one incident leads to another, until we are left with only Jack at the remote outpost, we never ever doubt the validity and credibility of the story.  It is all real.  It feels real.

Ms. Paver excels at scene setting and I can only imagine what it must have been like for her writing so deeply from her character's perspective.  I know that as a reader I struggled returning to my real world when I had to put the book aside to get up and make tea to continue reading.  It is very unique for me to be able to sink into a novel and feel totally immersed, so that it feels as if you are there.

As Jack's life at the outpost becomes more and more insular, he finds himself bonding with the pack of dogs they brought as part of the expedition.  We know how lonely he is, so that when anything happens, our thoughts are immediately drawn to him and we worry about the dogs - will they survive the storm and the creature that lurks in the snow and darkness?

I can go on and on about this book.  It resonated with me and made me feel deeply uncomfortable - I will never be able to go out after dark in the snow, without feeling something watching me.  This is creepy horror given a new breath of air and by doing so, giving us a brand new amazing author in the genre, lifting the genre from the splatter-gore to something darker, meaner, and far more scary.

And, to be fair, before you ask, the ending is just right.  There is resolution and it is done well and you don't end up thinking that you've been cheated out of something that could have been so much more.

I'm not the only one who has enjoyed Dark Matter - I've noticed people mentioning their reviews and praises for this all over the review-o-sphere.  I am incredibly pleased that this is the case as I really do feel that Dark Matter is something very unique.  This is the perfect present to yourself now that we're going into winter and the need arises for darker, scarier reads.  Trust me: you won't be sorry.

Dark Matter is out now!

**Infinite Days Competition**

All the UK seems to be waiting on today's spending cuts announcements but here at MFB we've decided to be rebellious and fly in the face of the anxiety and concern and be a bit wild and spendy.

We're offering copies of the beautiful Infinite Days by Rebecca Maizel.  There are FIVE copies to be won. 

Some info about Infinite Days to see if you may perhaps be interested in reading it:

**

For 500 years Lenah Beaudonte has been a vampire. 500 years of seduction, blood and destruction. But she is sickened by her dark powers – and longs to feel the sun on her skin, grass under her bare feet, and share the breath of a human kiss. She wants to be mortal again. But is she really capable of being human, after her long years of darkness? Waking up as a sixteen-year-old girl brings Lenah many things – the life she has missed, taste, touch, love. But a vampire soul is not easily shed. And her coven – the four vampires she led in decadence and thrilling destruction – want their queen back . . .

About the author:

Rebecca Maizel lives in Rhode Island, a fact which will become significant to readers of this book! She is currently studying for an MFA in writing for young adults in Vermont. INFINITE DAYS is her first book.

**

I love the sound of this.  I've not read Infinite Days yet but I've done some research and found Jenny's interview with Rebecca which is just ace and then this review over at Fantasy Book Review.

The competition is spit-easy: merely comment below (make sure to link your website / twitter name so I can find you!) and tell me what vampire books and movies you love - be as commercial / recent / old or obscure as you like.  I'm actually looking for recommends so would love to hear what you have to say! 

The Rules:

1.  UK entrants only, please, for this one.
2.  One entry per person! 

And....go!

Edited to add: I'll let the competition run to Monday, 25th October.

Entice - Carrie Jones

Just heard from Bloomsbury that one of MFB's fave writers Carrie Jones has her new book out VERY soon.

The new novel is called Entice and it is the third in her series featuring her main character, Zara.

This is from the PR document:

Zara and Nick are soul-mates – they’re meant to be together forever. But that’s not quite how things have worked out. For starters, Nick is dead, and has been taken to Valhalla, a mystical resting place for warriors. If they can find the way there, Zara and her friends will try to get him back. But even if they do, Zara has turned pixie – and now she’s Astley’s queen. Will Nick still feel the same way about her?

Meanwhile, more teenagers go missing as a group of evil pixies devastates the town of Bedford. An all-out war seems imminent and Zara and her friends need all the warriors they can find . . .

Ever gripping, Carrie Jones takes the suspense up a notch with Entice. Full of romance, tension and ass-kicking adventure, readers will be hungry for more!  

Keep up to date here with the main website.

This will take you to a sneak peak of Entice that is being published in Jan 2011 and do pop by Facebook if you want to be kept up to date with Zara and her world.  And just in case you don't know WHO Carrie Jones is...this is her website.

And of course, here are the MFB reviews for Carrie's books that we've read and loved. Notice that we loved Need so much, we reviewed it twice.

Liz reviews Need

Essjay reviews Need

Essjay reviews Captivate

Stay tuned for an upcoming review.  Essjay and I will be thumbwrestling for this one, I think!

Nevermore by Kelly Creagh

Synopsis

And the raven, never flitting, still is sitting, still is sitting
On the pallid bust of Pallas just above my chamber door;
And his eyes have all the seeming of a demon's that is dreaming,
And the lamp-light o'er him streaming throws his shadow on the floor;
And my soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor
Shall be lifted - nevermore!
-- from "The Raven" by Edgar Allan Poe

At once an homage to one of America's greatest writers and a page-turning psychological mystery that is equal parts horror, humor, and romance, NEVERMORE is the story of Varen -- a Poe-fan and goth -- and Isobel -- a cheerleader and unlikely heroine. When a Lit. project pairs the two together, Isobel finds herself steadily swept into Varen's world, one that he has created in his notebook and in his mind, one where the terrifying stories of Edgar Allan Poe come to life. Isobel slowly learns that dreams can be much more powerful than she'd ever expected, and that pain and despair come in all sorts of shades. As labels of "goth" and "cheerleader" fade away, she sees more in Varen than a tall, pale outcast, and a consuming romance is braced against the ever-clearer horror that the most terrifying realities are those within our own minds.

When Isobel has a single chance to rescue Varen from the shadows of his own nightmares, will she be able to save him -- and herself?

I don't know a great deal about Poe, never studied him at college or knew a much, if anything about his life. It didn't affect my enjoyment of this book one bit except that I've vowed to start reading some of his work. This will probably be quite a gushy review, be warned!

Isobel is a cheerleader, Varen is a goth and their forced pairing for a literature paper horrifies both of them. Isobel needs a good grade though, to ensure that her place on the cheerleader squad isn't at risk. He writes his number on her hand - an action that kick-starts a sequence of events that leads them both into terrifying nightmares that become reality. Isobel's "friends" react badly to the pairing, if they hadn't have done so the part of Isobel that stands up for what's right may not have been awakened. They're horrified that she is working with him and are merciless of what they believe to be her lack of loyalty to them.

I thought that the dark edge in this story would come from the alternate, dreamlike Poe world that Varen had created and whilst this is true Isobel's friends provided a great deal of sinister moments. The mechanics of high school cliques is shown at its ugliest and Isobel suffers simply because she's not prepared to ridicule Varen in a way that the majority thinks is appropriate. She sees beyond his surly exterior and starts to notice little things about him: his graceful hands, intense gaze and intriguing writing in his notebook. Varen is a fascinating and complex character, I have to admit to having a crush on him. I found myself willing them to get together as everyone around them turn against them.

I say everyone, but this brings me to the secondary characters. Gwen is Isobel's only supporter. Prior to meeting Varen, Isobel's only interaction with Gwen was that they shared neighbouring lockers. Isobel realises that Gwen is a pretty cool and individual girl. Isobel's parents play a big part in Nevermore. I found it refreshing that she has a good relationship with them and that it's portrayed so positively. Awful boyfriend, Brad, is suitably hateful and I found myself wanting to shake Isobel's dad for not seeing him for what he is.

As the story unfolds the world of Poe and reality start to mix with disturbing results. One of the many things I loved about it was that Isobel stayed true to herself throughout. She loves being a cheerleader and I would have been disappointed if she'd decided to leave it behind. Varen and Isobel are completely different but neither of them compromise themselves to be together. I found Nevermore to be brilliantly written, haunting and beautiful. It's my favourite book of the year so far and I can't imagine anything topping it. Excuse me while I head off to hunt out some Poe.

Ysabel by Guy Gavriel Kay

Synopsis:

Ned Marriner, fifteen years old, has accompanied his photographer father to Provence for a six-week "shoot" of images for a glossy coffee-table book. Gradually, Ned discovers a very old story playing itself out in this modern world of iPods, cellphones, and seven-seater vans whipping along roads walked by Celtic tribes and Roman legions. On one holy, haunted night of the ancient year, when the borders between the living and the dead are down and fires are lit upon the hills, Ned, his family, and his friends are shockingly drawn into this tale, as dangerous, mythic figures from conflicts of long ago erupt into the present, claiming and changing lives.

I have been aware of Guy Gavriel Kay - obviously - for a long time but have never actually read any of his books.  Until I wandered into Waterstone's recently and spotted the paperback of Ysabel.  That cover wooed me and I tucked it under my arm and started reading it when I got home. 

I took it with me to the Dordogne and the one thing I regret is not being able to read in a car.  I would have been able to finish it in one long sitting, during those long hours of drive.  However, it gave me the chance to read it in France, not in Provence, mind you, but pretty damn close.

Ysabel really surprised me.  I did not expect the comfortable home life the author created for Ned, his father and his father's various assistants as they go about their various location shoots in Provence.  There was a lot of banter within this group and the way Ysabel's been written, from Ned's perspective (third person point of view really, but with Ned as the main character) the reader is drawn into these people's lives.  The people you meet on the page are the people you meet on the page - little back story to be had but it really made the story immediate and also intimate. 

Personally, I do struggle with books that have a large cast because I sometimes forget who is who and what each is supposed to do / be about and I think a lot of other readers feel the same.  However, the cast in Ysabel is around eight people, with two more "supernaturals" thrown in, yet all of them have very distinct personalities and I found it no difficulty at all, keeping track of everyone, even when I wasn't reading it, merely thinking about it.

Ned's friendship with Kate (a fantastically nerdy girl who I grew to like a lot) is a new thing keeps them both fresh in the reader's mind.  Ned is a cool kid - very much aware of the outside world, technology and he is an okay student but an excellent athlete.  The nerdy Kate forms a great companion and foil for him. 

Ned is accompanying his father, Edward Marriner, on a photographic trip to compile a coffee table book.  With them is Melanie, Marriner Snr's very competent assistant and two others, who form the rest of his road crew.

Ned is left to his own devices and wanders through a cathedral when he meets Kate.  There is an instant connection between the two young people and I smiled several times as their chat.  It is here that they meet a mysterious man coming up from below the cathedral which itself had been built over some ancient Roman ruins.  Something goes "click" in Ned and it is as if he has a peculiar connection to the cathedral and the stranger.  The stranger refuses to tell them what he's been doing there, save to say that he's on the trail of an enemy.  Ned and Kate refuse to take the stranger at face value.  He's acting just that bit too weird for his own good and add to that Ned's peculiar feelings about him and the area.  As Kate is there when it happens, she is drawn into Ned's determined quest to figure out what is going on. 

**minor spoilers**

But briefly, to explain: two male characters from 2600 years ago have been warring through time to gain access to the enigmatic Ysabel.  The two, Phelan and Cadell have been rivals for her affection through all this time - they are reborn / awakened to fight their battles over and over, having started when Ysabel's original incarnation chose Phelan, a stranger / foreigner, over Cadell as her new partner, back in ancient times. Ysabel never returns in her original form - she takes over the body of a young woman of the time the "game" starts anew, basically enslaving someone else whilst she inhabits her body. And now, Ned is somehow involved as he can sense both Phelan and Cadell and Ysabel.

**minor spoilers over**



Throughout the weirdness we are aware of Ned's mum being abroad, working for an aid programme in war torn countries. And it is only when Ned's aunt turns up, and she explains to Ned that like him she can sense and know things that others can't begin to feel or understand that matters kick up a higher notch.  His aunt and mum no longer speak, having had a massive falling out when they were much younger (here we have some back story, but it is kept vague still) as his mum always thought her sister was putting on a"show" of being psychic and all New Age.  And because of the way things are turning out for Ned, being attacked by wild wolves at a local viewing point and becoming ill the nearer they go to an ancient field of battle, he urges his mum to please come and be with them as things seem to be going downhill fast. 

I've revealed far too much and I feel that I haven't quite managed to pull of putting the plot together for you even after all of that!  It's just, to me, Ysabel was a great holiday read - intricate, with a wonderful setting and interesting characters.  It surprised me that it was actually in the adult sci fi / fantasy section in my local Waterstone's because Ned, as the main character, is a mere fifteen, going on sixteen years old.  So a lot of his story will resonate with teen readers too, especially if they are looking for something contemporary with a historical twist, but still a bit supernatural.  But, I hasten to add, before this puts off any adult readers - the narrative is compelling and has enough body to its bones to satisfy adult scrutiny.  

This is the authorised Guy Gavriel Kay website.  Ysabel is out to be find in all good bookshops and online - especially in this very lovely cover.

Foyles: Video Book Awards & Foyles: Demons & Angels 31st October

Friday evening I was lucky enough to attend the Video Book Awards hosted at Foyles in conjunction with Random House, The Bookseller and The National Film and TV School.  There were four winning videos for the following books:

Blood's A Rover by James Ellroy
Hypothermia by Arnaldur Indridason
Blood Harvest by SJ Bolton
The Snowman by Jo Nesbo

The evening was a celebration for the four film makers and their crew who had come this far and it was also to hear who was the overall winner out of the four.

We viewed all four book trailers (watch them here) and then the winner was announced:

The Snowman by Jo Nesbo.  A massive congrats to the two talented film makers and their hard working crew:  Chris Moon and Yasmine al Naib.

Yasmine al Naib accepting the prize, whilst her colleague Chris Moon looks on.

I am very pleased to have been invited to this event, so thank you, Lynsey from Transworld for putting my name forward.  I had a lovely time and it was really interesting to attend this event, to see more of the marketing side of the publishing industry.  If you've not had the chance to do so, do check out the four winning book trailers.  Personally, I was all for Hypothermia or Blood Harvest to win.  And honestly, I still think one of those two should have won.  However, be that as it may, a massive congrats to two worthy winners and I look forward to seeing more of their work in the near future.

**

I also got the chance to chat to Neil and Jenny, two of the hardest working booksellers I know, before the event, downstairs in the kids and teens department.  Neil and Jenny, along with Sam, run the kids' department at Foyles.  Later this month, on the 31st October, they are hosting a Demons & Angels event starting at 2pm.

Authors in attendance will be:

Sarwat Chadda
Sam Enthoven 
William Hussey 
Cliff McNish 
LA Weatherley 

I got a sneak peak of the goodie bags that the audience stand the chance to win.  Sadly, my photo does not do the pretty shinies any justice but take my word for it: they are exceedingly pretty.

What I love about going into kids department at Foyles is how well they know their department and are always so keen to recommend books.  And not just the obvious choices, but really the slightly more obscure books that you may walk past without looking at them twice.

I will be attending the event on the 31st along with some other bloggy reviewers and geeky readers.  And of course, I will report back with pictures of any loot I may acquire along the way.  Stay tuned!  In the meantime, enjoy the piccies below.

The official window display outside of Foyles

Another view of the Foyles window

I love how all these books give the perfect flavour for October!

Their display in store - and I apologise for the stupid glare in this photo! I'll do better. 

I couldn't resist a photo of the white covers for the Twilight saga.  Say what you will, they look pretty!

Black Swan Rising by Lee Carroll

Synopsis:

Jeweller Garet James isn't the same as everyone else.



She just doesn't know it yet.

With her fair share of problems – money (lack of), an elderly father, a struggling business – Garet should be just like any other young, feisty, single New Yorker. If only it was that simple...

It begins with the old silver box that had been soldered shut. All Garet has to do is open it. A favour for the frail owner of the antiques shop. Who wouldn’t help?

Only it’s then that things start to change. Garet doesn't notice at first, the shifts barely perceptible. But the city in which she grew up is beginning to reveal a long-hidden side – darker, and altogether more dangerous: parallel world of chaos, smoke and blood.

And now it’s out of the box...and it has no intention of going back in.

I read Black Swan Rising in September when I got stricken down with a rubbish cold.  I read it in two days and then promptly re-read it again.

Lee Carroll has managed to give mystery and magic back to the urban fantasy genre that has become over populated with kick ass females and sparkly vampires.

In Black Swan Rising (BSR) we meet Garet - she is a professional young woman, a competent and creative jeweller, who has to face some awful facts: the house that she shares with her father, a dealer in artwork and a friend to a variety of artists and creators, will be taken by the bank to cover their escalating debts.  Her dad had made some unwise purchases on the cusp of the market collapsing and now they're stuck with some amazing pieces of art which sadly they can't get sold.  And even in a recovering market, things were looking tough.

Garet's strength lies in her ability to be both a creative person and a realist, not usually traits we see that go hand in hand, or at least not in the books and movies, when artists are portrayed.  She forms a sharp modern contrast to her father who is quite elderly and perhaps a bit frail, who lives his life remembering the past, the good times, the golden years, as such. He also still mourns the loss of his wife some years before.

I loved the sense of community in BSR - we have Garet's dad and his crony remembering the old times on the one hand, we have Garet's friends who are in an up and coming band, then we also have the community in which Garet's house and studio is based.

I've never been to New York but obviously know quite a bit about it because of movies and TV shows and books, yet even this fleeting knowledge was good enough to anchor me in BSR because really, Garet's entire story is told within the NY landscape.  The city and the river is as much a part of the story as the characters we meet and I loved that.  It has made me yearn to visit so much.

Garet's choice to huddle in the doorway of a small shop to get out of the rain, after receiving the bad news of their escalating debt initially seems random, but as the story of the shop keeper and the mysterious box he asks her to open, unfolds, you realise there is more to this random encounter than meets the eye.

Then, after she manages to open the box, and then their home and studio gets broken into, Garet's spidey sense starts to tingle even more.  Something is going on, the box is the key, but so is the signet ring she wears - the signet ring with the swan rising.  Her father suffers quite badly in the break-in and is rushed to hospital.  The care given to him there by the kindly staff enhances yet again the sense of community within the novel.  As is her growing friendship with one of the male nurses, Obie.

As Garet slowly but surely starts piecing together some bits of the story about the break in, the box, her own heritage, and what might in fact be going on, there is this great sense within the novel that you are pushing your way through a fog, only to discover one thing, that leads to another, that leads to another.  That, people, is great plotting.

Now, this obviously wouldn't be urban fantasy without Garet somehow becoming involved with supernatural beings.  In this instance she has several encounters with fae creatures and a vampire, amongst other things.  There is an element of romance but in no way is it the driving force behind the novel to the extent where the actual narrative suffers. 

What I enjoyed about BSR is that Garet grows so much within the context of the story.  No, she does not become an improbably tough kick ass female with devastating martial skills, but she does learn about her own strengths and gifts she inherited being from a long line of female protectors. She is shown ways to fight and guard against the man who gave her the mysterious box; none other than the infamous John Dee.

There is really quite a lot more to say about this book but really, if you are looking for a thoughtful, beautifully written book, anchored firmly in the urban fantasy genre, but breaking the rules and being quite literary, at the same time, I can't recommend Black Swan Rising enough.  I am not fond of "if you like this, you will like this" recommendations but in this instance I have to list a few novels and authors I think you may have read / know of which may encourage you to pick up Black Swan Rising:

Charles de Lint's - The Onion Girl / Greenmantle / Yarrow and Moonheart
Midori Snyder - Hannah's Garden / The Flight of Michael McBride
Neil Gaiman - American Gods / Anansi Boys
Emma Bull - War for the Oaks / Bone Dance
Holly Black - Tithe / Valiant / Ironheart
I'll stop there, but I think you get the drift from the author's I've mentioned above. 

A final thought: I do think that some of the more mature readers of YA (and I mean aged 16+ not mature as me aged 37) may very well enjoy reading Black Swan Rising.  It has a dark heart but the main character's growth and discovery of herself will definitely appeal to readers who are keen for a book that has more scope and plays off against a larger background.

Black Swan Rising is out 25th November 2010 from Bantam Books / Transworld.  And I've just realised it will make a perfect Yule pressie as its atmosphere is very much suitatable to that time of year.  Clever!

This is not a review!



I will be reviewing The Spirit Thief by Rachel Aaron for sfrevu.com later this month.  But as it is still some time away, I really just wanted to do a brief write-up about it to let you know that it really is aces.

This is from Orbit's site:

Eli Monpress is talented. He’s charming. And he’s a thief.

But not just any thief. He’s the greatest thief of the age – and he’s also a wizard. And with the help of his partners – a swordsman with the most powerful magic sword in the world but no magical ability of his own, and a demonseed who can step through shadows and punch through walls – he’s going to put his plan into effect.

The first step is to increase the size of the bounty on his head, so he’ll need to steal some big things. But he’ll start small for now. He’ll just steal something that no one will miss – at least for a while.

Like a king.

Eli Monpress is a rogue and a scoundrel and we love those.  His single act of stealing a king sets in motion events he can't begin to have conceived.

I started reading The Spirit Thief on Monday morning and moved through it so quickly because the writing is so engaging.  The secondary characters are also well scripted with Eli actually being the one you're not entirely sure of.  I loved the mystery factor surrounding him.  And there is hardly any back-story to these characters which is just fantastic.  You get to know them very well, very quickly as the story unfolds.  The world building is intricate and clever and never boring. I stood no chance as a reader.  I am completely in love with Eli, Josef (the swordsman) and Nico (well, what is Nico exactly?) and with Miranda (the Spiritualist aka wizard). I cannot wait to read the other two books in the series.

Read the first two chapters here, on Ms. Aaron's website.

And that's all I'm saying about it right now.

Rick Riordan

So, a few moments ago, I was handed this giant envelope by my receptionist here at work.  My heart did this stuttering little thing it always does when I get handed an envelope or box that is decidedly book-shaped.

I opened up the envelope and within was this BIG book.  And I thought: what can it be, my precious?  (Yes, I do in fact speak like this, ask anyone!)

And lo!  It was the newest Rick Riordan: HEROES OF OLYMPUS: The Lost Hero.
I am excited.  I don't do a lot of random shout-outs for books that come into the reach of my grubby paws, but this one, I'm happy to chortle about.

Firstly, I really do like the Percy Jackson books.  Very accessible stories, steeped in mythology, that lured many reluctant readers into Percy's world and hopefully made reades from them.  Secondly, Rick Riordan's writing may not be Booker material but by heavens, he's a bloody good storyspinner and his stories are very entertaining.

Yes, admittedly, I didn't enjoy Red Pyramid that much but to be honest, I think I expected it to be similar to Percy and it's not.  In my opinion it was aimed at a much younger age group and didn't feel the love for the mythology as much as I fell for the Greek mythology.  Which is odd, because I am big on Egyptian mythology, more so than Greek.  Whichever way it falls - in this one instance, I was disappointed.  But rumour tells me that Heroes of Olympus is going to earn back my love.

Stay tuned for a review.

Oh, and these are some piccies I took, to show the actual size and coolness of the book. Also - the spine reflects / shows the mechanical dragon from the front of the book.  I think I'm just a little in love.  Can you tell?

The pretty! 

The thickness!

 Close up of that dragon!

The spine!

Also, on Saturday, 6th November, he (Rick The Myth Maker Riordan) will be at Bluewater.  And so will I.  I am going to stand in the queue (and probably be the oldest person there!) to get my unsigned books signed. And then I will go home and melt and write about my geekyness and show you pictures of the signing, right here on MFB.  Stick around. 

Firelight by Sophie Jordan

Synopsis

Marked as special at an early age, Jacinda knows her every move is watched. But she longs for freedom to make her own choices. When she breaks the most sacred tenet among her kind, she nearly pays with her life. Until a beautiful stranger saves her. A stranger who was sent to hunt those like her. For Jacinda is a draki—a descendant of dragons whose greatest defense is her secret ability to shift into human form.

Forced to flee into the mortal world with her family, Jacinda struggles to adapt to her new surroundings. The only bright light is Will. Gorgeous, elusive Will who stirs her inner draki to life. Although she is irresistibly drawn to him, Jacinda knows Will's dark secret: He and his family are hunters. She should avoid him at all costs. But her inner draki is slowly slipping away—if it dies she will be left as a human forever. She'll do anything to prevent that. Even if it means getting closer to her most dangerous enemy.

Mythical powers and breathtaking romance ignite in this story of a girl who defies all expectations and whose love crosses an ancient divide.

I've just finished reading a brilliant book recommendation (The Painted Man - thanks Liz!) so have been suffering from that bereft feeling you get when you want to read it all over again. I've been looking at this book on and off and finally decided to give it a try. Firelight is full of action from the first page. Jacinda and her fellow draki friend Azure are doing something they shouldn't be - flying in daylight. Found by hunters who want her for her beautiful skin and ability to find precious stones, she hides in a cave and is found by hunter Will. He doesn't betray her but more than that he finds her beautiful, not merely an animal to be killed.

By breaking the rules Jacinda's safety is at risk and her Mum takes her away in the middle of the night with her twin sister to start a new life in the desert. Jacinda's mum knows that this dry atmosphere will kill the draki inside her leaving her human. Jacinda's twin, Tamra, never became a draki and is overjoyed with the chance to move out of her sister's shadow. Everybody is happy except Jacinda.

I loved this book (apart from one gripe which I'll come to later) and the difficult family relations give it a great edge. I was as furious as Jacinda that her mum expected her to endure the dry conditions whilst the most important part of her literally withers and dies. While Tamra flourishes at school, popular for the first time in her life, Jacinda is out of place and unimportant until she meets Will again. The connection between them is instant and the development of their relationship is deliciously intense. It's not easy, both of them seem to fight against their bond. Although Jacinda is finding it difficult to transform into her draki form she finds that being in close proximity to Will feeds it. When with him her draki flourishes; a mere kiss has her skin changing and steam threatening to escape her lungs. I absolutely adored Will and Jacinda together; they're everything a teen romance should be.

Obviously there's another boy. In this case it's Cassian, next leader of the pride. As Jacinda is a rare fire-breather he expects to marry her. Of course he isn't going to let her leave the pride without a fight which adds an extra element of drama. In fact, Jacinda finds herself fighting for herself at every turn. This makes her an incredibly likeable heroine and she doesn't make one choice that jarred with me as the reader.

But now to my one negative - this book is too short. Just as the action reaches fever pitch it's over and, dammit, I wanted more. However,the cliff hanger ending is exciting. This is part one of a trilogy and I'll be first in the queue to get the next book. The best word I can use to describe Firelight is breathless. Gorgeous start to a new trilogy which I highly recommend.

The Bones of Avalon by Phil Rickman

Synopsis:

It is 1560, and Elizabeth Tudor has been on the throne for a year. Dr John Dee, at 32 already acclaimed throughout Europe, is her astrologer and consultant in the hidden arts... a controversial appointment in these days of superstition and religious strife.

Now the mild, bookish Dee has been sent to Glastonbury to find the missing bones of King Arthur, whose legacy was always so important to the Tudor line. With him – hardly the safest companion – is his friend and former student, Robert Dudley, a risk-taker, a wild card... and possibly the Queen’s secret lover.

The famously mystical town is still mourning the gruesome execution of its Abbot, Richard Whiting. But why was the Abbot really killed? What is the secret held by the monks since the Abbey was founded by Joseph of Arimathea, uncle of Christ and guardian of the Holy Grail?

The mission takes Dee to the tangled roots of English magic, into unexpected violence, necromantic darkness, the breathless stirring of first love... and the cold heart of a complex plot against Elizabeth.

I am a big big fan of Phil Rickman and his Merrily Watkins books. When Corvus Books was first launched, I pestered the good people at Atlantic Books to PUHLEASE send me Phil Rickman's newest novel on, The Bones of Avalon. That duly arrived and I read it greedily and read it again.

And yet that review never saw the light of day, till now. Because I think this time of the year is the perfect time for this fantastic historical novel from one of the foremost authors working in the UK.

Phil Rickman is a master when it comes to plotting a novel. He sweeps you along with the narrative and slowly but surely the pieces of the story comes together and suddenly, you as the reader get this lightbulb moment and you then unexpectedly totally get the story and how cleverly it is all put together. Or rather, that is my experience with his other novels.

In Bones of Avalon things are ramped up significantly. John Dee, Elizabeth's "sorceror" is called on to investigate the missing bones of King Arthur. Already you can't help but be hooked.  Such a simple pretext to get the adventure off to a start but as this is a Rickman novel, that simple hook is already far more complicated than you may expect.  Throw in powerful characterisation of historical figures and an ability to tell a story in a setting that you never for a second disbelieve, The Bones of Avalon will sweep you off your feet, shake you around a bit and spin you around.

Deeply drawing on his already extensive knowledge of the occult and hidden knowledge, Rickman works his magic by giving us a John Dee as we may never have thought to see him: a gentle, highly intelligent man in his early thirties who is probably a bit too naive for his own good.  Contrasted with him we have the charismatic Robert Dudley, who is wise, foolish and a bit dangerous to know.  The two form an odd team but therein lies Rickman's talent, giving us a main character (Dee) and a main secondary character (Dudley) who reflect not only each other, but the time the story is set in.

I can't praise Phil Rickman's depiction of Elizabethan England enough. The book oozes with mystery, fear and layers of religious strife and deep pagan roots.  But, it is also an unexpected novel in the sense that Dee's character is so novel.  I have read biographies of him in which he is always the dry haunted man, a man who is easily lead astray by colleagues and rumours.  In Bones of Avalon we have the bookish young man to contend with - someone who is brave without swinging a sword or facing a knight in battle.  His bravery is quieter yet it will shake the foundations of the small town of Glastonbury and surrounds, right to London where his Queen resides.

I am loathe to tell you more of the plot as it is a) involved and b) trying to explain the ins and outs will be too spoilery but allow me to say that if you enjoy in depth characterisation, good storytelling and an evocative historical setting, you should enjoy Bones of Avalon.  On par, and better than many of the contemporary written historical novels out there today, Phil Rickman has proved that he is an excellent wordsmith with a deft touch when it comes to writing about historical figures.

Find Phil Rickman's website here and Corvus / Atlantic Books here.

When I was Joe by Keren David

Synopsis:

When Ty witnesses a stabbing, his own life is in danger from the criminals he's named, and he and his mum have to go into police protection. Ty has a new name, a new look and a cool new image -- life as Joe is good, especially when he gets talent spotted as a potential athletics star, special training from an attractive local celebrity and a lot of female attention. But his mum can't cope with her new life, and the gangsters will stop at nothing to flush them from hiding. Joe's cracking under extreme pressure, and then he meets a girl with dark secrets of her own.

Wow - what a corker of a book.  The storytelling is ace but it is Ms. David's characterisation here that pulls us as readers into Ty/Joe's story. 

We are thrust into Ty and his mum's lives during an unpleasant time.  Joe was a witness to a knife crime and he told the police about it.  And everyone knows that this is not something that happens - hence the family being taken into care by the police for protection.

Under their new identities they should be safe.   The operative word here is "should" because there is no mollycoddling in Ms. David's world.  Joe and his mum are not glamourous people from CSI or from any other glossy tv show.  They had to leave their entire lives behind and go on the run and hope that they remain safe. Can you imagine doing something like that?  I can't - no contact with your friends and family, cut off from the world as you know it.  And worst of all is the fact that no matter what you do, you must try and keep under the radar because if you don't, there is no telling what might happen.

I genuinely fell for Ty.  His struggles became my struggles - will he cope at his new school today, will he remember to be Joe?  Will he remember to keep it on the down low and to not be noticed by anyone, including the teachers.  Hard enough to do in a normal situation, even harder still when you are purposefully trying to disappear!

His new friendship with a paraplegic girl, Ellie, raises all sorts of problems.  Ty already has so much to remember about his new life, and should he reveal to Ellie what's going on, her life may end up in danger too.  Ty is not a born liar, he finds being secretive hard.  Initially it's quite cool - a bit of James Bond going on, a bit of Goodfellas and that, but the reality of it is that lying and lying all the time, is very hard and it takes its toll.

Ty's personality permeates the book - he's moody, annoyed at the ruckus, irritated by his mum but he's also trying to make the best out of a bad situation.  As the story plays out, I find myself squeezing my eyes shut on occasion thinking: any minute now, any minute now it's gonna happen, he's going to blab.

The author has tackled a deeply disturbing and very prominent aspect of crime in the UK - that of knife crime.  It's not going away - no matter what the reports say.  And it is in this reality that When I was Joe is set.  It doesn't shrink back from the awfulness of the matter, it's not made glossy or glammed up either.  It is what it is, a dark gripping novel written by an author who has such great skill, that I'm impatient to get to the follow-up novel: Almost True.  Which I will review next week, when I'm back from holiday.

Find Keren David's website here.  When I was Joe is out now from Frances Lincoln publishers.

Graceling by Kristin Cashore

Synopsis:

In a world where people born with an exceptional skill, known as a Grace, are feared and exploited, Katsa carries the burden of a skill even she despises: the Grace of killing. She lives under the command of her Uncle Randa, King of the Middluns, and is expected to carry out his dirty work, punnishing and torturing anyone who displeases him. Breaking arms and cutting off fingers are her stock-in-trade. Finding life under his rule increasingly unbearable Katsa forms an underground Council, whose purpose is to combat the destructive behaviour of the seven kings - after all, the Middluns is only one of the Seven Kingdoms, each of them ruled by their own king and his personal agenda for power. When the Council hears that the King of Liend's father has been kidnapped Katsa investigates . . . and stumbles across a mystery. Who would want to kidnap him, and why? And who was the extraordinary Graced fighter who challenged her fighting skills, for the first time, as she and the Council rushed the old man to saftey? Something dark and deadly is rising in the north and creeping across the continent, and behind it all lurks the shadowy figure of a one-eyed king . . .

My review is: buy the book, read it, love it.

Didn't think I'd get away with it.  Dammit.

I'm late to the party, as usual.  Practically the whole world has read and reviewed Graceling by Kristin Cashore and it is for that reason that I was so wary of it.  I was scared of the fuss and the buzz. 

And it's died down a bit now and perhaps I get to perhaps kick it off again?

I didn't think I would like Graceling as much as I did Fire, the companion novel which I read first.  Call me crazy.  And I don't like it as much as I did Fire.  Fire was an excercise of awesome.  Graceling was the practice run towards awesome. It is a pretty damn good book and I utterly loved Katsa and her Graced fighter, Po.  I loved the story line, the mystery at its heart and the overall feel of the story.  There is nothing wrong with the story or the writing, I just think that Fire is the superior one of the two novels and I suspect that the third novel, Bitterblue will again be the better one of all three.  Because I think that Ms. Cashore will just keep getting better and better with each book.  

The thing is, you can see how the author has progressed as writer.  First came Graceling, then came Fire.  This girl (Ms. Cashore) has talent, heaps and heaps of it.  Graceling is a strong graceful debut novel with memorable characters, interesting concepts and very good world building. Fire, more so.

But this review is about Graceling.  Actually, the review is about Katsa who is the Graceling and who is the main character of the novel.  She is pretty much the scariest heroine conceived, what with her Killing grace.  But she is also tremendously conflicted about it and spends a lot of time making sure she is careful with her grace.  I loved how her grace became less of an issue once she meets the mysterious Po and discovers that he is a graced fighter.  I would love to see a physical fight in real time between them.  I suspect it may be something out of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Enter the Dragon and a John Woo movie. 

There are various fight scenes and various forms of martial combat in the novel but what the author does, instead of writing page after page after page of tedious sequences, she gives these amazing little snippets and bursts of imagery that completely satisfies.  It is one of the many things I appreciate about her writing skill.

I'd say that if you are an aspiring writer, to read both Graceling and Fire to see what the author does with voice and characterisation.  When you sit in "how to get published" seminars and an agent and publisher can't quanitfy what exactly they mean by "voice" and "I'll know it when I see it", they are talking about the talent Ms. Cashore has in abundance.  It sucks you into the narrative so that you reluctantly have to tear yourself away from it back to the real world on occasion.

Some sections of Graceling does however require some suspension of disbelief, more than others.  But you know, just go with it because at the end of the day, you are reading about a character who has tremendous innate skill and is basically one of the X-Men of her world.

I'm not sorry I've waited this long to read Graceling.  It was a pure treat, written by an author who has great skill and you can just tell she had a great time writing it too.  The narrative flows well, the characters and minor characters are fun to hang around with and at the end of the novel, I think a bit of Katsa's gutsiness may have rubbed off on me.  *swings her axe*

Graceling is published here in the UK by Gollancz.

Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare

Synopsis

Magic is dangerous - but love is more dangerous still... When sixteen-year-old Tessa Gray arrives in England during the reign of Queen Victoria, something terrifying is waiting for her in London's Downworld, where vampires, warlocks and other supernatural folk stalk the gaslit streets. Friendless and hunted, Tessa seeks refuge with the Shadowhunters, a band of warriors dedicated to ridding the world of demons. Drawn ever deeper into their world, she finds herself fascinated by - and torn between - two best friends, and quickly realizes that love may be the most dangerous magic of all.

I was terrified for Tessa from almost the first page; arriving in London on the strength of a letter from her brother, she's met by a servant and ushered into a coach. Unfortunately for Tessa she's been abducted by the Dark Sisters who have great plans for her. They seem to know something about Tessa which she had no idea about. Once she discovers the truth and meets up with the Shadowhunters Tessa has to learn how to live a new life. Her new home is the London Institute, home of the Shadowhunters led by the fabulous Charlotte. Fortunately, the Institute doesn't mirror Victorian society - they have their own norms and values. As before, Shadowhunters inhabit a strange, shadowy world that lies hidden from humans (mundanes). It's made all the richer for the Victorian background which adds a foggy, mysterious, gaslit hue to the proceedings.

Shadowhunter Will saves Tessa from the Dark Sisters and so begins their tortuous relationship. It's very push-me, pull-me and Tessa is both attracted to him but held back by the norms of the era. He's an interesting hero and I found myself loving and hating him in the space of a couple of sentences. There's also tragic Jem who's sensitive and thoughtful where Will is infuriating and obnoxious. I found myself leaning towards Team Will though, and I feel there's a great deal more for the reader to discover about him in the next book. I even found myself adoring Jessamine the reluctant Shadowhunter. She was brought up to get married and have a secure family life but finds herself slaughtering demons in fantastic dresses. I'm looking forward to seeing how her character grows in the next instalment.

There's too much in this book to fit into one review. Magnus plays a big part and I loved meeting him in his earlier life. If you haven't read the Mortal Instruments trilogy it won't matter but for those who have, it adds a great deal to Magnus's character. He has a very one-sided relationship with the vampire Camille and I found myself feeling sorry for him. He lives on through generations, very much alone.

This book is a perfect example of how wonderful fantasy can be. I'm often hear people say that fantasy or horror are not genres to be taken seriously. However, I believe that Clockwork Angel perfectly illustrates the tricksy qualities of human nature; it just so happens that there are a few vampires and magicians thrown in. I can't argue that I read it to be reacquainted with the world that Cassandra Clare has created but I was touched by Tessa's story. She showed how it's possible to lose everything but gain in equal measure - a real gem of a book.

Cold Kiss by John Rector

Nate and Sara are broke -- and on the run from the past.



When a shady hitchhiker offers them cold hard cash for a lift, they can't afford to say no.


But very soon they'll be wishing they had. Because picking him up is about to become the biggest mistake they ever made -- and the price they'll have to pay will be greater than they ever could have imagined...
 
I read Cold Kiss in one sitting.  Cover to cover.  It's one of the books I picked up at the S&S bash a few months ago.  I've been sitting on this review since then, but only after I squealed at Ally at S&S about it and emailing the author, John Rector and gushing at him about it.
 
If you like being scared.  If you enjoy twisty dark stories.  If you like a tense well written psycholgical thriller with dubious characters, Cold Kiss is for you. 
 
Nate and Sara are likeable as this young couple - they aren't innocents, not by a long shot.  Nate's been in bad places and Sara is a girl who is learning to cope with what's coming her way.  Nate is a pragmatist and knows the reality of the future they face together, running away with very little money and the world, basically, against them.  Sara is softer, slighty more innocent but also aware of the difficulties ahead for both of them, as they run from her home and family.
 
Throw into this mix of anxiety, an awful snow storm getting worse and a hitch-hiker with a wet awful sounding cough, who begs the two runaways for a lift.  He's prepared to pay them hard cash. 
 
If this were a movie, you'd be screaming at the screen for the two young lovers to get in their car and drive.  Fast! Away from this.  In fact, I still shouted at the book and muttered to myself.  The money wins them over, it has to.  Giving this weird rude man a lift, is not something they are keen to do, but Nate faces the reality that the money will be a way for them to make a start wherever they decide to settle.
 
So they give the stranger, Sylvester White, a lift as his car broke down and wouldn't start.  And initially things are okay-ish, but Syl's questions are a bit too personal, a bit too uncomfortable.  And gradually, outside, the storm becomes worse as they barrel along a dark highway. 
 
They come across a rather ratty motel and decide that they have to pull in as the weather outside is getting worse.  Nate arranges for a room and when he gets back to the car Sara is in a state.  Syl's not breathing.  A complete nightmare situation.  
 
As it is, as a reader I was already tense.  Reading this made me go, phew, that's okay then, he's not going to turn into an axe murderer or something and kill them.  Oh, how the author laughed up his sleeve at me.  Because this is just the beginning of the amount of crap that gets ladeled over Sara and Nate and if you think things can't get worse, well, think again, because they do.  Much much worse. 
 
There are very few books I've read where I have felt such despair for the characters.  Few authors have that ability to really make me feel like I want to sit down and cry for the amount of trouble they dump their characters in.  Robin Hobb is one of these, as is Jim Butcher and now, John Rector. 
 
As you read Cold Kiss you KNOW the shiz is going to hit the fan but you just don't know how or when or to what extent.  That pure anxiety just keeps you turning that page because you have to know how it pans out.  And those twists just keep on coming. 
 
Cold Kiss is perfectly suited to be made into a horror / thriller movie.  But really, I hope it doesn't happen because the screen will not be able to convey the tension John Rector manages to create in this slender offering.  It blew me away - I mean, I like being scared but this thing, boyo, it freaked me out.  Also, sometimes you find that the endings to thrillers are a bit of a let-down.  Gmpfh - not in this case. 
 
I'd wholeheartedly recommend Cold Kiss to crime, horror and thriller readers.  It goes that bit further, breaking through the boundaries of standard genre fiction, and delivers a whole fist full of icy cold goodness.
 
Find John Rector's website here.  You can find Cold Kiss in all bookshops and online.