Chasing the Moon: By A. Lee Martinez

CHASING THE MOON

SUMMARY

Unspeakable horrors threaten the earth in this fantastic new comic fantasy from the author of Divine Misfortune.

Diana's life was in a rut - she hated her job, she was perpetually single, and she needed a place to live. But then the perfect apartment came along. It seemed too good to be true - because it was.

The apartment was already inhabited - by monsters. Vom the Hungering was the first to greet Diana and to warn her that his sole purpose in life was to eat everything in his path. This poses a problem for Diana since she's in his path...and is forbidden from ever leaving the apartment.

It turns out though that there are older and more ancient monstrous entities afoot - ones who want to devour the moon and destroy the world as we know it. Can Diana, Vom, and the other horrors stop this from happening? Maybe if they can get Vom to stop eating everything...and everyone.

REVIEW

If you’re looking for a humorous light read with fantasy elements then look no further. Chasing the Moon is funny, full of creative and interesting characters, and fast paced enough to both keep the reader engaged and the story moving at a good clip.

The story beings when Diana moves into a new apartment. Unbeknownst to her, the apartment is also home to Vom the Hungering, a beast of insatiable apatite that will eat anything in front of it. Unluckily for Diana (but good for the story) Diana happens to get in Vom’s way. Of course instead of getting eaten, she distracts and befriends the monster, convincing it not to eat her (at least that day) and instead shares the apartment with it. The story continues with Diana picking up more and more strange acquaintances and learning to deal with the new and surprising world around her.

The story is filled with magic, intriguing characters, and inventive worlds. While all the characters are interesting and well created, my favorite characters have to be Vom and Pogo. Readers get the greatest insight from any of the monsters from Vom, and Pogo is just such a surprise and interesting character that I just naturally enjoyed him.

While the final battle lacked some of the vigor necessary to really bring the story home, and some of the earlier warnings seemed unnecessary after the events at the end of the book. Chasing the Moon is a solid read full of humorous characters, interesting plot lines, and great dialog. Fan’s of Martinez’s other works will certainly enjoy.

RATING

8 out of 10

INFO

Publisher: Orbit

Published: May 25, 2011

Price: $19.99

For Heaven's Eyes Only: By Simon R. Green

FOR HEAVEN'S EYES ONLY

SUMMARY

After the murder of the Drood Matriarch, the family finds itself vulnerable to evil. This time, it's a Satanic Conspiracy that could throw humanity directly into the clutches of the Biggest of the Bads..

REVIEW

At the end of From Hell With Love Eddie had just been killed by an imposter, impersonating Molly’s sister, leaving the family and the series in complete disarray and madness. Luckily for Green’s Secret Histories series, he doesn’t have Eddie die. Instead he opens up an interesting theory that Eddie’s parents are still alive. This theory then takes a back seat to the Satanic Conspiracy that threatens to destroy the world (much like most other evil organizations we’ve seen in previous books in the series.) Of course unlike some of the other books in the series For Heaven’s Eyes Only kills off some surprising supporting characters. This coupled with a shocking ending to the book will leave readers in stunned silence eagerly awaiting the next and possibly last in Green’s fantastic 007 like series.

Fans of the previous books in the series will certainly enjoy this newest addition to the Secret Histories family. It was not just phoned in (as Green’s newest series, Ghost of Chance, with its poor writing, unlikable characters, and purely engaging, seemed to be.) Instead it begins with Eddie having just been shot and residing in Limbo, continues with high levels of action, comical remarks, and inventive characters, and ends with such a surprising ending that even those who were on the edge for this series will be drawn in and eagerly awaiting the next book.

The story is predictable, the writing light and humorous, and the action continuous. It is not the best book ever written, but it is certainly fun and engaging. Fans of Green’s other works will enjoy the series and as I mentioned, I can’t wait for the next book in this exciting series.

RATING

8 out of 10

INFO

Publisher: Roc Hardcover

Published: June 7, 2011

Price: $25.95

The Ascension: By Michael Carroll

THE ASCENSION

SUMMARY

They'd done it. Not only had Roz, Abby, Lance, and Thunder survived their first battle with a super villain, they'd defeated him. Krodin was dead, and they had saved the world. Now everything could go back to normal-good old, boring normal. School. Parents. Friends.

But three weeks later, the world suddenly changes. The United States is under martial law, the people are little more than drones, and where Central Park should be there now stands a massive glass-and-steel building, home to the all-powerful Chancellor.

REVIEW

If you’re a fan of superheroes, non-stop action, or fantastic writing then you will absolutely love The Ascension.

The Ascension begins moments after the events of Super Human. The world is turned upside down, as instead of killing Krodin, Pyrokine sent him back in time, but only six years. Armed with the knowledge of the future and Max Dalton’s name, Krodin set about reshaping the United States into the empire he desired. Yet for some reason six years after Krodin was re-released into the world (or a few months after the events of Super Human) the Dalton’s, Lance, Paragon, Thunder, Brawn, and Abby are sent into this alternate reality with the knowledge of their own fight with Krodin. They set about fighting off his masses and trying once again to defeat this seemingly invincible enemy.

Of course my favorite aspect of The Ascension were the characters. Unlike Super Human, which acted as more of a prequel introducing the characters and setting up the story for The Ascension, this book takes the bones of the story and turns them into something greater. The characters are more well rounded, are forced to discuss greater issues such as the lines between right and wrong and good and evil, and really are just more engaging in general. My personal favorite characters this book were Thunder, Lance, and Brawn. You really get to see a different side of these super humans, explaining some of their background without dragging the story down. Not only that but Carroll discusses how Lance can always be caught in the middle of these super human issues, bringing up some fascinating points for the future of the series.

Of course most people wont delve into The Ascension for the characters, what most of the readers of this series want is action, and The Ascension has plenty to offer. Unlike some of Carroll’s other books The Ascension does a fantastic job keeping the action coming while the characters develop.

All in all readers will absolutely love The Ascension. The characters are interesting and well developed, their powers fascinating, the action non-stop, and the writing superb. This is a great read for anyone (especially preteen and teenage boys), and I can’t wait for the next in the series.

RATING

9.5 out of 10

INFO

Publisher: Philomel

Published: June 30, 2011

Price: $16.99

Ember and Ash: By Pamela Freeman

EMBER AND ASH

SUMMARY

The old ones will have their revenge.

Two peoples have been fighting over the same land for a thousand years. Invaders crushed the original inhabitants, and ancient powers have reluctantly given way to newer magics. But Ember was to change all this with a wedding to bind these warring people together - until her future goes up in flames.

Ember's husband-to-be is murdered by a vengeful elemental god, who sees peace as a breach of faith. Set on retribution, she enlists the help of Ash, son of a seer. Together they will pit themselves against elementals of fire and ice in a last attempt to end the conflicts that have scarred their past. They must look to the present, as old furies are waking to violence and are eager to reclaim their people.

REVIEW

Ember and Ash is a fantastic book that I wished I had read Freeman’s other books before I had read this one. I was able to follow the storyline and very much enjoyed the characters and world, but felt that if I had read The Castings Trilogy first then I would have enjoyed the book on a whole new level.

The story begins with Ember, the daughter of a warlord, preparing to marry. Just as the wedding is about to occur, suddenly a great fire roars up, killing her betrothed and claiming her for himself. He claims that he is the god fire and that he was promised her as a bride by her mother years before. When she refuses to submit to him, he wipes out all the fires in the area, refusing to let them be restarted. From there, the story follows Ember and her cousin Ash's journey to restore the fire to the town. Character's grow, battles ensue, and surprise twists are thrown into the mix, making a fantastic yet not shocking epic fantasy read.

That said, the characters were fantastic, the magic/gods intriguing, and the action well placed. Fans of a traditional epic fantasy novel will love this book, but if given a chance other fans of fantasy will surely enjoy it as well. All in all a great read, but if given a chance read the Casting Trilogy first.

RATING

8 out of 10

INFO

Publisher: Orbit

Published: May 1, 2011

Price: $7.99

The Warlock: By Michael Scott

THE WARLOCK

SUMMARY

In the fifth installment of this bestselling series, the twins of prophesy have been divided, and the end is finally beginning.
With Scatty, Joan of Arc, Saint Germain, Palamedes, and Shakespeare all in Danu Talis, Sophie is on her own with the ever-weakening Nicholas and Perenelle Flamel. She must depend on Niten to help her find an immortal to teach her Earth Magic. The surprise is that she will find her teacher in the most ordinary of places.

REVIEW

What can I say about The Warlock? It’s fantastic, it’s brilliant with its use of gods and myths, it’s surprisingly accurate with the details of said myths and evidence prevalent today. All that is true and yet it’s so much more than those words could ever hope to ecompass.

The Warlock takes place immediately after the events of The Necromancer end. The twins are separated as they each chose different allies to support. Yet to me The Warlock was much less about the twins and much more about the adventures of the other characters: Dee, Virginia, Scatty, Joan, the Flamels, and surprising new characters. While I love the twins, this was a fantastic chance for the reader to get a glimpse into the lives of the other important characters in the story. Besides that it really rounds many of the characters, such as Virginia, Billy, Machiavelli, and Scatty out as much more well rounded characters.

As the 5^th book in a six book series this volume obviously leaves quite a few cliffhangers and shocking surprises unanswered. I fully expect to have all my questions answered in the last installment, and am both saddened and exhilarated with the ending of such a wonderful series.

All in all if you enjoy mythology (of all types), fantasy, well written characters, and exciting and intricate plot lines then you will absolutely love The Warlock and the entire The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel series. A must read!

RATING

10 out of 10

INFO

Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers

Published: May 24, 2011

Price: $18.99

The Chaos Crystal: By Jennifer Fallon

THE CHAOS CRYSTAL

SUMMARY

The magical Tide has turned and the Immortal Lords once again have their full power. The Immortal Lord Cayal welcomes this power as a means to an end--his end, preferably. Cayal has wanted to cease his existence for longer than human history and it looks like he might finally get his wish. Rumors swirl that the Chaos Crystal, the mysterious prism that brought the Immortals to the world, has been found. Cayal is determined to seize the gem.

Among those who search for this long-lost object is Cayal’s former lover, the very mortal Lady Arkady. She’s been captured by Jaxyn, a Tide Lord who is decidedly against Cayal and is seeking the Crystal for his own nefarious schemes. Arkady escapes, and is off on her desperate search…for if the gem falls into the hands of the Immortals, what will become of humanity?

The stakes are high, with mortal and immortal fighting to grasp this ultimate prize. Whoever holds the Crystal can decide the fate of the world.

REVIEW

Jennifer Fallon’s Tide Lord’s series is a must read for any lover of fantasy books. The plot is original, the magic intricate and fascinating, and the characters superb. And as the last in the series The Chaos Crystal is of course a must read.

The Chaos Crystal takes place where The Palace of Impossible Dreams leaves off (just a note if you haven’t read the other books in the series they are fantastic and necessary to understand the situations in The Chaos Crystal.) The story quickly moves from one shocking affair to another, ending with a conclusion that will leave readers stunned in their seats.

While the plot is fast moving and elaborate it was the characters that won me over in this series. Every character, from the leads such as: Arkady, Cayal, and Declan, to the smaller characters such as: Tiji, Warlock, and Elyssa, every character is complex, fascinating, and distinctive. But mostly Fallon does a fantastic job getting the most out of so many wonderful characters, making each of their actions vital to an intricate game of political maneuvering among the gods and their plans.

Of course what Fallon does fall down on slightly is the ending. I read the Australian version of the book as well as the newly released American version and she does rectify this a little bit by adding another important concluding chapter to the epilogue, but readers (myself included) will still want more from this astounding story.

Of course, when all you’re complaining about is you want more from the story that’s saying something right there. The Chaos Crystal and the entire Tide Lords series are fantastic. The characters well developed, the plot intricate and fast paced, and the story itself original. All in all a must read for any fantasy fan.

RATING

9 out of 10

INFO

Publisher: Tor Books

Published: May 10, 2011

Price: $27.99

After the Golden Age: By Carrie Vaughn

AFTER THE GOLDEN AGE

SUMMARY

Can an accountant defeat a supervillain? Celia West, only daughter of the heroic leaders of the superpowered Olympiad, has spent the past few years estranged from her parents and their high-powered lifestyle. She’s had enough of masks and heroics, and wants only to live her own quiet life out from under the shadow of West Plaza and her rich and famous parents.

Then she is called into her boss’ office and told that as the city’s top forensic accountant, Celia is the best chance the prosecution has to catch notorious supervillain the Destructor for tax fraud. In the course of the trial, Celia’s troubled past comes to light and family secrets are revealed as the rift between Celia and her parents grows deeper. Cut off from friends and family, Celia must come to terms with the fact that she might just be Commerce City’s only hope.

REVIEW

After the Golden Age was not a good book.

I tried to like it, I love a number of superhero books, including Shades of Grey by Jackie Kessler and Caitlin Kittredge, Soon I Will Be Invincible by Austin Grossman, and The Quantum Prophecy series by Michael Carroll, but I just couldn’t get into After the Golden Age. Possibly it’s because I’ve had trouble in the past relating to Carrie Vaughn’s writing style in some of her past books (including Discord’s Apple, another great idea that I just didn’t like the way it was written.)

Or it could have been the characters, which I felt were feeble and uninspired. Or it could have just been the plot, which I thought could have been made into so much more.

All in all I didn’t like After the Golden Age. I wish I had, as it was a fun premise for a book, and I wanted to like Vaughn’s writing style. But it just wasn’t meant to be.

RATING

4 out of 10

INFO

Publisher: Tor Books

Published: April 12, 2011

Price: $24.99

Fuzzy Nation: By John Scalzi

FUZZY NATION

SUMMARY

Jack Holloway works alone, for reasons he doesn’t care to talk about. Hundreds of miles from ZaraCorp’s headquarters on planet, 178 light-years from the corporation’s headquarters on Earth, Jack is content as an independent contractor, prospecting and surveying at his own pace. As for his past, that’s not up for discussion.

Then, in the wake of an accidental cliff collapse, Jack discovers a seam of unimaginably valuable jewels, to which he manages to lay legal claim just as ZaraCorp is cancelling their contract with him for his part in causing the collapse. Briefly in the catbird seat, legally speaking, Jack pressures ZaraCorp into recognizing his claim, and cuts them in as partners to help extract the wealth.

But there’s another wrinkle to ZaraCorp’s relationship with the planet Zarathustra. Their entire legal right to exploit the verdant Earth-like planet, the basis of the wealth they derive from extracting its resources, is based on being able to certify to the authorities on Earth that Zarathustra is home to no sentient species.

Then a small furry biped—trusting, appealing, and ridiculously cute—shows up at Jack’s outback home. Followed by its family. As it dawns on Jack that despite their stature, these are people, he begins to suspect that ZaraCorp’s claim to a planet’s worth of wealth is very flimsy indeed…and that ZaraCorp may stop at nothing to eliminate the “fuzzys” before their existence becomes more widely known.

REVIEW

The first thing you should know about Fuzzy Nation is that it is actually a reboot of H. Beam Piper’s Hugo-nominated Little Fuzzy. Scalzi has taken this world, and created a brand new novel, based on Beam’s Little Fuzzy world.

Now that you know that, the best way to describe Fuzzy Nation is to take one part science fiction, one part legal drama, and add in Scalzi’s humorous and engaging writing style and you get a sense of what Fuzzy Nation is.

Fuzzy Nation takes place on the planet Zarathustra (AKA Zara XXIII), where like many other planets, ZaraCorp is mining it for its minerals. Of course, Zara XXIII is just like any other planet until independent contractor, Jack Holloway, discovers a vein of jewels that would revolutionize the earnings potential of the company. While the company takes an obvious interests in this vein, Holloway also discovers a tribe of small fuzzy animals, which over time connects to, and dubs fuzzies. Of course this discovery means the end of ZaraCorp’s and Jack’s fortune, for if these fuzzies turn out to be sentient beings then that means they’ll have to stop mining of the site. With his friendships, wealth, and the future hanging in the balance, Jack’s decision could mean his personal fortune, or the death of an entire civilization, a decision ZaraCorp will do anything to make go their way.

Whether this synopsis grabbed your attention or not Fuzzy Nation is a great book. It is exciting, fast paced, and engaging. Not only that but Scalzi once again does a fantastic job creating endearing yet complex characters who readers will be sure to love.

While there were a few points that seemed a little much in the book (I would describe them, but they give away key points in the plot), Fuzzy Nation is ripe with humor and heart. Coupled with its great cast of characters and its captivating tone, Fuzzy Nation is a fantastic read that any Scalzi fan will certainly enjoy.

RATING

8.5 out of 10

INFO

Publisher: Tor Books

Published: May 10, 2011

Price: $24.99

Always the Vampire: By Nancy Haddock

ALWAYS THE VAMPIRE

SUMMARY

Cesca Marinelli has been slacking on her duties as a vampire princess, but she will be the best maid of honor ever for Maggie's Victorian wedding. However, when her mostly-human honey, Saber, falls ill due to a magical construct called the Void, she knows she'll have to go beyond the call of bridesmaid duty...

The Void is affecting every supernatural being in Cesca's afterlife, including her shapeshifter ex, Triton. To counter the Void's reign of terror, Cesca must fully summon her vampire powers-which may lead to her own doom.

REVIEW

When dealing with paranormal romance novels authors have to walk a very fine line. If the author gets to overzealous with the sex and details or they cut to much of the action out then the book becomes a weak interpretation of a romance novel and doesn’t have a spark, if they don’t give enough details then the key demographic they’re trying to engage will walk away unhappy.

Luckily Always the Vampire seems to walk the tightrope just fine.

Haddock does a fantastic job keeping the action going and the details blush worthy. But for me what was most compelling were the characters and the humorous tone they had about them. Cesca is a smart kick-ass heroine who will be sure to engage readers. Her dialog and the storyline are light hearted enough to relax the reader, yet quick paced enough to keep them fully glued to their seats. Besides that Haddock’s other characters, such as Maggie and Saber, bring enough fullness to the story that readers can’t help but fall in love with this book.

Always the Vampire is exciting, zany, and full of fun characters. While not for everyone, fan’s of Cat Adams’ Song series and Jaye Wells’ Sabina Kane series will find a great read in the entertaining book. That said I would greatly encourage readers to read the first two books in the series, Last Vampire Standing and La Vida Vampire, before starting Always the Vampire.

RATING

8 out of 10

INFO

Publisher: Berkley Trade

Published: May 3, 2011

Price: $15.00

The Goddess Test: By Aimee Carter

THE GODDESS TEST

SUMMARY

It's always been just Kate and her mom—and her mother is dying. Her last wish? To move back to her childhood home. So Kate's going to start at a new school with no friends, no other family and the fear her mother won't live past the fall.

Then she meets Henry. Dark. Tortured. And mesmerizing. He claims to be Hades, god of the Underworld—and if she accepts his bargain, he'll keep her mother alive while Kate tries to pass seven tests.

Kate is sure he's crazy—until she sees him bring a girl back from the dead. Now saving her mother seems crazily possible. If she succeeds, she'll become Henry's future bride, and a goddess.

REVIEW

While I liked the idea of The Goddess Test, I personally wasn’t blown away by the execution of the story.

What I mean by that is mythology, especially revolving around Greek Gods such as Hades and stories as well known as Persephone, can turn into fabulous storylines in modern day books. In fact some of my favorite books revolve around myths, Rick Riordan’s Lightning Thief series, Michael Scott’s Alchemist series, and Eric Nylund’s Mortal Coils series. But all of these books don’t just take the basic myth and fill it in with pretty characters and a love interest. Instead these great authors took a fascinating myth and made it into something of their own. If you knew the myths surrounding the books it makes them all the more enjoyable, but taken together with the new characters, dialogue, and the author’s personal touches, the myth becomes new and exciting, it is not just another retelling but is instead the creation of something new and glorious.

Of course that’s enough of me waxing poetic about these other authors, instead back to the book at had, The Goddess Test. The Goddess Test, is alright, teenage girls will probably flock to it, as it has all the ingredients for a new teen heart throb of a book. But in my opinion it doesn’t have the ingredients to become a great book. The protagonist isn’t as likable as she should be, the side characters are a little weak, the story isn’t as engaging as it should be, and the spark is just missing. I think the book will do well but it certainly doesn’t have my endorsement.

RATING

5 out of 10

INFO

Publisher: Harlequin

Published: April 19, 2011

Price: $9.99