The Kestral (Westmark Trilogy, Book 2) by Lloyd Alexander (4/5 stars)

This is the second book in the Westmark Trilogy and starts up a short time after the last book left off. It was a solid young adult fantasy; I didn't like it quite as much as the first book but it was still a very well put together fantasy.

Theo is assigned with going exploring around the kingdom and reporting the findings back to the Queen and King. While he is out news comes to him from Florian that one of the kingdom's main generals may be a traitor; right after Theo gets this news he receives news that the king has died...now Mickle is Queen of the realm. Theo sets off to find Mickle but instead gets embroiled in fighting and it is fighting that brings out the more violent side of his nature. Mickle, meanwhile, has other ideas of what a Queen should be doing and takes off to find Theo.

This book switches perspective a lot more than the first book. We hear things from Theo's view, Mickle's view, Kellner's view, the Chief Magistrate's view, Prince Connie's view, and the water-rats' view. All that switching around breaks up the story a little, but for the most part things flow very well.

As in the first book, the plot is very engaging as are the characters. This book is a bit of a tougher read because you have to read carefully to follow the plot and all the people; in that it is typical of most epic fantasies. The style of the writing is very similar to the first book.

There were a couple this about this book that were a bit "off" for me. The first was that there was so much discussion of politics; I personally prefer reading about adventuring versus politics...the politics are well done but there are a lot of them. The second thing was Mickle's character. It bothered me how she spent most of her childhood as a beggar and then she is Queen and suddenly she understands military strategy and is super strong and proficient. I think if I were a younger reader this wouldn't bug me as much; but as an adult I want to know where she learned all these military tactics...I know she is smart, but still.

Outside of the above mentioned quibbles, this was a very well done novel. You definitely need to read the first book first. I would recommend this for young adults and older, it is not that content is inappropriate for younger children...it is just that I don't think younger children will be all into the politics going on here. I am eager to read the third (and final) book in the trilogy "The Beggar Queen".

This book went towards the following reading challenges:
- The Young Adult Reading Challenge
- The 100+ Book Reading Challenge

Waiting on Wednesday - 1/20

Okay "Waiting On Wednesday" is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine.

This week my WoW book is "Game of Cages" (Twenty Palaces, Book 2) by Harry Connelly.  The first book in this series was great.  If you love the Dresden Files by Jim Butcher I would definitely check it out.  I am eager to read the next one!  I couldn't find a synopsis, but the cover art and release info is below.



Game of Cages: A Twenty Palaces Novel by Harry Connolly
Pages: 400 pages
Publisher: Del Ray
Release Date: August 31st, 2010

Teaser Tuesday - 1/19

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.
 
Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
- Grab your current read
- Open to a random page
- Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
- Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

This week my teaser is from "Westmark" by Lloyd Alexander


Here it is: "The girl had never stirred.  Through all her weeping, she had been fast asleep." Pg. 56

Westmark (Westmark Trilogy, Book 1) by Lloyd Alexander (4.5/5 stars)

This is the first book in Alexander's Westmark Trilogy. I read Alexander's "Chronicles of Prydain" when I was in middle school and really liked it. When I realized that I had never read this series I had to grab it up. It is a wonderful young adult series and the fact that it still reads well (over twenty years after being written) is a testament to Alexander's exceptional style of fantasy writing.

Theo is an apprentice to a printer in a time where the monarchy is becoming increasingly stringent about printed materials. During an inspection Theo and his master run afoul of the Royal inspectors and in a fit of rage Theo smashes one of the inspectors with a part of the printing press. Theo's master is killed and Theo becomes a criminal on the run. Shortly after fleeing town he meet up with Dr. Absalom, who is not as much of a doctor as he says and much more a rogue, and a midget named Musket. There crazy adventures eventually have them grouping up with Mickle, a girl thief who is much more than she first seems. Theo partakes in some wild adventures and struggles with the morals of the livelihood he is making as a rogue, he eventually tries to make a honest living, but that only ends up with him deeply embroiled in politics that could make or break the country.

This book was a wonderful classic young adult fantasy. You have Cabbarus, the evil chief minister, who is a wonderful villain. You have an ailing king, who puts the lineage of the throne at risk. Theo is a young boy who struggles with his solid morals, as actions that should be honorable end up not being right. The characters are well-woven and make for interesting reading. In fact the characters show an admirable level of maturity and reasoning throughout the book. The plot moves a little slow, but everything that happens in this book happens for a reason so it is a very tightly woven story. The writing is excellent and fits the mode of the story perfectly.

There are some excellent actions scenes, lots of intrigue, and plots woven within plots. This is a book that makes you think in order to follow all the threads of plot that are happening. There is a lot of delving into morals and violence and what is wrong and right. I was amazed at how complex the story was for such a short book. Definitely an excellent read. It would be appropriate for all ages, but younger readers might not be able to follow all the intrigue and ethics discussion that goes on.

I look forward to reading the next book in this series "The Kestrel". "Westmark" is a must read for young adult fantasy lovers. The plot may drag a bit at parts, but the story is intricate and interesting. I did like "The Chronicles of Prydain" better; those books were an easier and more engaging read, but "Westmark" is close in quality and definitely a classic.

This book went towards the following reading challenges:
- The Young Adult Reading Challenge
- The 100+ Book Reading Challenge
- First in a Series Reading Challenge

Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom by Cory Doctorow (4/5 stars)

I like the Magic Kingdom in Florida, having visited there a number of times in my life. When I saw this Science Fiction novel centering around Disney World, and even more specifically the Haunted Mansion, I had to give it a read. It was a good book with some interesting ideas. Definitely an adult read.

Jules is your typical citizen, he lives in a world that is not run by money but by Whuffie. Whuffie is a currency based on what people around you think about you and how much joy you bring them. If you have lots of Whuffie lots of people love you and you get lots of perks. In this future everyone can survive and gets the basics of food and shelter, but only Whuffie allows you to live in style. This is also an age where people back themselves up on computer, this is awesome because if something happens to your body then you can just upload yourself into a new clone whenever you want...at least as long as your backup is up to date. Well, Jules is at a point in time where him and his girlfriend Lil are helping to keep the Hall of Presidents running in Liberty Square in Disney World. Suddenly Jules is murdered, not a huge deal, but when a top-notch computer ride designer uses the opportunity of his death to step in and redo the Hall of Presidents, Jules is out for blood. More specifically he has decided that he will protect the Haunted Mansion from this designer's clutches no matter what it takes and sets out to redesign the Haunted Mansion himself in a way that lets it stay true to its original form.

There were a lot of things I liked about this book. Doctorow has come up with an interesting society and a very creative way at looking at human aging. Things like the ability of humans to deadhead for a few centuries and then be reinserted into a new clone when the world becomes more interesting to them, are very creative and really bring this society alive for the reader. The whole Whuffie system is in itself also very creative and a pleasure to immerse oneself in. The fixation that Jules had with the Haunted Mansion was interesting and Doctorow's description of the ride dead-on. The twist the story takes at the end was fascinating and made for a good read. The story and writing style were easily readable.

As far as things I didn't like about the book there were a few. I didn't really like Jules as a character too much, neither did I like Lil. They were almost too human; neither of them really showed any heroic qualities. Also things like suicide and deadheading were taken in stride, which might bother some people, but makes sense in a society where people are centuries old. The novel is plagued by a lot of throwing scientific terms around that the reader doesn't understand in the beginning; this is resolved as the novel continues but is a bit frustrating at first. Also sometimes Jules takes diversions in the story that don't seem necessary (for instance in the part where he goes off talking about a marriage he had to this crazy lady with fur, it had some impact on the story but not enough to go on as long as it did). Lastly the problem of overpopulation of Earth (in a society where people are born but never die) was mentioned briefly in the beginning, but then was never dealt with as the story progressed.

While this novel isn't necessarily a fun read, it is an interesting read. I would recommend it if you are interested in the downfalls of a Utopian society, or if you are crazy about the Haunted Mansion, or if you just like reading about various future versions of Earth. A good book. I will definitely check out more of Doctorow's books in the future.

This book goes towards the following reading challenges:
- The 100+ Book Reading Challenge
- Support Your Local Library Reading Challenge

Mailbox Monday - 1/18

Mailbox Monday can be found at: The Printed Page

Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came into their house last week (checked out library books don’t count, eBooks & audio books do). Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists.

I got four books this week.  I bought Kitty's House of Horrors when I found it on the bookdepositroy.com for really cheap.  I am excited to read the latest installment in this series.  The last three were books I acquired through paperbackswap.com.  Lots of good reads for me. 

Hope you all have a great week!  And Happy Reading :-)
 

"Kitty's House of Horrors" (Kitty Norville, Book 7) by Carrie Vaughn

First Sentence: "I knew if I stayed in this business long enough, I'd get an offer like this sooner or later."
From Amazon.com: "Talk radio host and werewolf Kitty Norville has agreed to appear on TV's first all-supernatural reality show. She's expecting cheesy competitions and manufactured drama starring shapeshifters, vampires, and psychics. But what begins as a publicity stunt will turn into a fight for her life.

The cast members, including Kitty, arrive at the remote mountain lodge where the show is set. As soon as filming starts, violence erupts and Kitty suspects that the show is a cover for a nefarious plot. Then the cameras stop rolling, cast members start dying, and Kitty realizes she and her monster housemates are ironically the ultimate prize in a very different game. Stranded with no power, no phones, and no way to know who can be trusted, she must find a way to defeat the evil closing in . . . before it kills them all."

"Got Fangs?" by Katie Maxwell
 
First Sentence: What do you want to do first-have your aura photographed, or see the witch and have her cast a spell?" a girl asked.
From Paperbackswap.com: "I used to think all I wanted was to have a normal life. You know, where I could be one of the crowd and blend in, so no one would know just how different I am. But now I'm stuck in the middle of Hungary with my mom, working for a traveling fair with psychics, magicians, and other really weird people, and somehow, blending in with this crowd doesn't look so good.

Fortunately, there's Benedikt. Yeah, he may be a vampire, but he has a motorcycle, he likes the mysterious horse I suddenly acquired, and best of all, he doesn't think I'm the least bit freaky. So I'm supposed to redeem his soul - if his kisses are anything to go by, my new life may not be quite as bad as I imagined."

"Taboo" by Jess Michaels
 
First Sentence: "The Earl of Blackhearth, Nathan Manning, had once considered the heat of a summer's day in India to be stifiling."
From Amazon.com: "Cassandra Willows has made a name for herself as one of London's most sought-after seamstresses—and as the creator of intimate "toys" much beloved in the bed chambers of elite ladies and lords. But her success cannot soothe her guilt and pain over a most devastating betrayal.
Nathan Manning, Earl of Blackhearth, will never forgive the exquisite Cassandra for abandoning him without a word on the day they were to elope. Now he is back in London and hungry for revenge. Armed with scandalous, provocative memories, the handsome, vengeful nobleman blackmails his former lover into a most illicit affair...and reignites the raging fire that once consumed them both.
But by losing themselves in the throes of erotic ecstasy reborn, Nathan and Cassandra are courting gravest danger—vulnerable to a past that threatens to destroy their lives and passion still; at risk from dark, unspoken secrets that are shockingly, perilously...taboo."

"Dreams of the Dead" by Thomas Randall

First Sentence: "Akane Murakami died for a boy she did not love."
From Amazon.com: "Sixteen-year-old Kara Foster is an outsider in Japan, but is doing her best to fit at the private school where her father is teaching English for the year. Fortunately she’s befriended by Sakura, a fellow outsider struggling to make sense of her sister’s unsolved murder some months ago. No one seems to care about the beautiful girl who was so brutally murdered, and the other students go on as if nothing has happened. Unfortunately, the calm doesn’t last for long. Kara begins to have nightmares, and soon other students in the school turn up dead, viciously attacked by someone . . . or something. Is Sakura getting back at those she thinks are responsible for her sister’s death? Or has her dead sister come back to take revenge for herself? This first book in a frightening new trilogy will have teens glued the page and scared to go to sleep."

Darklight (Wondrous Strange, Book 2) by Lesley Livingston (3/5 stars)

This is the second book in the Wondrous Strange series. There are supposed to be three books total in this series. I liked this book a bit better than the first one; but it still wasn't anything extraordinary. You definitely need to read the first book, Wondrous Strange, to follow what happens in this book.

Kelley is trying to get on with her life as an actress in New York. Sonny is off in fairyland eliminating the Hunt one by one. They miss each other horribly. Kelley feels a need to take a walk through Central Park and is mugged by a man there. Ends up the man is a Leprechaun and he is after Kelley with a vengeance. In an attempt to save herself and Fennrys (one of the Janus guard) from a brutal attack, Kelley pulls them into fairyland. Once in Fairyland she faces a hoard of fairy politics and other fairy problems; one of which is Sonny himself.

There were some good things about this book. You get to learn more about the fairy world and meet a few more crazy fairy creatures. There is a lot of action and also a lot of romance between Kelley and Sonny. The story holds a couple interesting surprises for the readers and is relatively well put together. It is a quick read and an easy read.

There were also a lot of things that bothered me about the story. Sonny is kind of a jerk to Kelley, and she is kind of a jerk back. Still they are forever in love, and I still haven't figured out why. The strongest character in this book was Fennrys, then halfway through the story he disappears, only to reappear at the end. Most of the side characters are a far sight more interesting than Kelley and Sonny, and it is kind of a bummer that the story focuses on them. There are a lot of fight scenes but, as in the first book, they are missing something. None of the fight scenes seem to have the sense of urgency or action to them that you would expect. In general the story itself doesn't have much urgency. In fact I was hard-pressed to figure out why these evil Leprechauns were taking center stage in this story to begin with.

Overall, I got through the book and it was okay. It just left a lot to be desired in the areas of characterization, plot development, and action scenes. I was hoping this series would get better after the first book, but it hasn't. So, I guess, if you liked the first book a lot then you will like this one because they are similar in style. I will probably read the last book in the trilogy for some closure, but after that I don't think I will be picking up anymore of Livingston's books. If you are interested in book with a similar subject but stellar character development I would check out Holly Black's Modern Fairy Tale.

This book goes towards the following reading challenges:
- The Young Adult Reading Challenge
- The 100+ Book Reading Challenge