The Spirit Thief: By Rachel Aaron

THE SPIRIT THIEF

SUMMARY

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.

REVIEW

Magic, mystery, and a little bit of good old thievery. All in all Rachel Aaron’s first book in her The Legend of Eli Monpress series is a truly fantastic book.

I’m a little embarrassed to say I didn’t initially recognize this book as the fantastic piece of literature it is. In fact I probably would have missed it, if not for the fact that Orbit produced it.

What I mean by this is that since starting this blog I’ve learned a lot more about the publishing industry, such as, who produces the best urban fantasy/ fantasy/science fiction, who releases books at a speed that can keep a reader happy, and who is the most consistent with the level of production they put out. And from all of this I have to say Orbit is one fine imprint. They release great books in time periods to keep readers happy, they are one of the most consistent imprints in the level of high quality material that they publish, and they’re constantly trying to make things cheaper and more affordable for the reader. But anyway enough about how fantastic Orbit is, the real crux of the matter is that I would have passed by this fantastic book without even knowing it, and that would have been the real crime.

The Spirit Thief is fun, well written, and full of well developed characters. Aaron does a fantastic job creating a story around this first chapter of the Eli Monpress series. She introduces just enough mystery to reel the reader into the next book, while maintaining an engaging action packed plot that will keep you up late into the night.

Not only is the plot well developed and intricate enough to entice readers to the next in the series, but the characters are all interesting and robust. None of the characters are bland or black and white, and even the minor characters are given enough great dialog to keep the story moving and entertaining. My personal favorite characters thus far in the series are Josef and Gin who are both strong, slightly sarcastic, interesting characters, who like almost all the characters in this series are filled with just a little bit of suspense and mystery about their back stories.

Of course besides being a fun exciting book, The Spirit Thief also happens to be dirt cheap ($7.99). So if you enjoy good books that are not expensive, then The Spirit Thief and the entire Legend of Eli Monpress series just might be for you. And if you've already read it then I'm sure it'll make the perfect stocking stuffer for the holidays.

RATING

9.5 out of 10

INFO

Publisher: Orbit

Published: October 1, 2010

Price: $7.99

Right Hand Magic: By Nancy Collins

RIGHT HAND MAGIC

SUMMARY

Like most Manhattanites, aspiring artist Tate can't resist a good rental deal-even if it's in the city's strangest neighborhood, Golgotham, where for centuries werewolves, centaurs, and countless other creatures have roamed the streets.

Her new landlord is a sorcerer name Hexe, who is determined to build his reputation without using dark, left-hand magic. As Tate is drawn into Hexe's fascinating world, they both find that the right hand does not always know what the left hand is doing-and avoiding darkness is no easy trick...

REVIEW

While this book is called Right Hand Magic there certainly wasn’t that much “Right” about it (yes I do know how corny that sounds, I’m ok with it, considering how corny the actual book is).

While the premise of the book sounds like it could have been interesting (creature centered area in Manhattan, landlord who wants to try to only use right “good” hand magic, filled with an abundance of different creatures and magic), it wasn’t enough to make up for the lack of presence in the main characters.

Tate is a flat, poorly written, un-redeeming protagonist who is both boring and painful to read. It feels like there were sentences that could have been easily cut that would have made the character/book much better. Another character that was a disappointment was Hex. While Hex’s lines weren’t as choppy as Tate’s Hex’s story just never really grabbed me like it needed to take the book to a dynamic level.

Of course Collins, the author, does a great job creating a world of interesting and unique magic that if the characters were a little stronger, would mark this book as fun and interesting. There are normal were-animals, and whatnot, but there’s also strange new magics such as Hex’s.

All in all while the premise and magics were interesting they can’t make up for the characters and general plot line/annoyingly predictable nature of the book. Because of this I hope that Collins is able to give it another shot, because she really did create a fun exciting world, just maybe possibly go through a few more rounds of edits to make the dialog and characters better crafted next time.

RATING

4 out of 10

INFO

Publisher: Roc

Published: December 7, 2010

Price: $6.99

Empty: By Suzanne Weyn

EMPTY

SUMMARY

It's the near future - the very near future - and the fossil fuels are running out. No gas. No oil. Which means no driving. No heat. Supermarkets are empty. Malls have shut down. Life has just become more local than we ever knew it could be.

Nobody expected the end to come this fast. And in the small town of Spring Valley, decisions that once seemed easy are quickly becoming matters of life and death. There is hope - there has to be hope - just there are also sacrifices that need to be made, and a whole society that needs to be rethought.

Teens like Nicki, Tom, and Leila may find what they need to survive. But their lives are never going to be the same again.

REVIEW

I was looking forward to Empty. I had read Xisle by Steve Augarde and Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi, and this book sounded in my opinion a lot like these books, because of its dystopian future based on a lack of resources. I thought it looked fun, exciting, and like a great book to read.

Boy was I wrong.

Empty bored me from page one. It was a preachy book that was filled with hollow characters and a poor plot. No one wants to read about the horrors of the environment without a decent story behind it, and this is especially true in a young adult/children’s book. But that’s exactly what Empty did, it read like a boring memo about the frightening rate we are using our resources.

Not only that but what little story the book did have felt disjointed and jumbled together because of the splintering of the many points of view of all the different characters in the book. If the author had chosen just a few of these characters to concentrate on then I feel confident she could have at least salvaged part of the story line.

That said, what really annoyed me was that this book could have been really good. The author did a horrible job breaking the book into too many perspectives and ultimately making it too preachy. Yes, there are successful ensemble books, and there are many books which convey important messages about the environment that contain decent if not good plots, but this just doesn’t happen to be one of them.

RATING

3 out of 10

INFO

Publisher: Scholastic Press

Published: October 1, 2010

Price: $17.99

Hero: By Mike Lupica

HERO

SUMMARY

Fourteen-year-old Zach Harriman can feel the changes. The sharpening of his senses. The incredible strength. The speed, as though he can text message himself across miles. The confidence and the strange need to patrol Central Park at night. His dad had been a hero, a savior to America and a confidante of the president. Then he died, and the changes began in Zach. What Zach never knew was that his father was no ordinary man--he was a superhero, battling the world's evil. This is a battle that has been waged for generations and that knows no boundaries.

And now it's Zach's turn to take on the fight. It's Zach's turn to become a hero.

REVIEW

When it comes to elementary and middle school sports novels, Mike Lupica is king. He’s written countless books about everything from football to basketball to baseball, and so when I saw he was coming out with a superhero novel I thought he’d be a great person to write one, (because of his experience with suspense and pace in the story) and so I marked it in my calendar and I couldn’t wait to pick up a copy for myself.

When I picked up Hero though I was a little disappointed, this wasn’t the all inclusive for any age book for I was expecting, this was a superhero book for kids in middle and elementary school (I don’t know why I was expecting anything else, but I was.) Of course even with that disappointment I still decided to finish the book, and I have to say it was pretty good.

Ok, now understand when I say that this book was pretty good, I had decided to try to put myself in the mindset of someone in middle school to better evaluate the book. So when I did that I found the book much more enjoyable and a great book for kids.

Hero is full of mystery, action, and superpowers, what’s not to love? The characters don’t develop as much as one might hope, and the end seems a little corny, but the story and the fun a reader will have reading it are top notch, and in my opinion that’s what matter most. Making this a good book for middle school and elementary school kids (especially boys).

RATING

8 out of 10 (for elementary/middle schoolers)

INFO

Publisher: Philomel

Published: November 2, 2010

Price: $17.99

Atlantis and Other Places: By Harry Turtledove

ATLANTIS AND OTHER PLACES

SUMMARY

A famous naturalist seeks a near-extinct species of bird found only on the rarest of lands in "Audubon in Atlantis." A young American on a European holiday finds himself storming an enchanted German castle in "The Catcher in the Rhine." The philosopher Sokrates plays a key role in the Athenian victory over the Spartans in "The Daimon." Centaurs take a sea voyage aboard "The Horse of Bronze" to a land where they encounter a strange and frightening tribe of creatures known as man. London's most famous detective, Athelstan Helms, and his assistant Dr. James Walton are in Atlantis investigating a series of murders in "The Scarlet Band."

This collection includes these and seven more amazing stories of ancient eras, historical figures, mysterious events, and out-of-this- world adventure from the incomparable Harry Turtledove.

REVIEW

There are some authors who’s names are just synonymous with science fiction and good writing in general. Such authors include Orson Scott Card, Philip K. Dick, Douglas Adams, and Harry Turtledove. Personally I’ve read a good number of these authors books and loved them all. That is all except Harry Turtledove. I don’t know why but I’ve never picked up and read one of Mr. Turtledove’s books. I’ve always heard wonderful things about them and how he’s such an amazing and intelligent author, but when it came time to read one of his many books I always found myself reading something else instead.

So when I was sent Atlantis and Other Places I felt this anthology of short stories would be a perfect place to see what this master storyteller has up his sleeve. And I have to say it was some show.

If you don’t know what Turtledove is famous for is his historical science fiction and fantasy. These books encompass a range of history subjects from ancient civilizations to the present. In Atlantis and Other Places Turtledove does a fantastic job of sampling a number of his different histories and stories. My personal favorite was The Horse of Bronze, a short story about the first time centaurs encounter humans in their search for tin. It’s very well told and had just the right amount of action and intrigue to keep the reader going in the story. But what I was most impressed by the story was the narrative voice. Turtledove does a fantastic job creating a relatable, intelligent, yet intriguing voice in Chiron, the famous centaur from the Greek myths.

That said not all the stories are gems, I personally didn’t love a few of the stories but overall I enjoyed more than I disliked. Also, considering I usually don’t love short stories that fact that Turtledove was able to both keep my attention in his stories and have the majority of them come out with a positive reaction really speaks to his ability as a writer. Therefore in my opinion if your haven’t read Harry Turtledove then you should, and Atlantis and Other Places is as a good as any place to begin in your soon to be interest in this fantastic author.

RATING

8 out of 10

INFO

Publisher: Roc Hardcover

Published: December 7, 2010

Price: $24.95

Archvillain #1: By Barry Lyga

ARCHVILLAIN

SUMMARY

Kyle Camden knows exactly where he was the night Mighty Mike arrived: Sneaking around the fallow field behind Bouring Middle School (motto: "The U Makes It Exciting!"), running the electrical cabling that would allow him to dump the contents of the old water tower on the visiting football team during the next day's game.

Which is why he couldn't tell anyone where he was.

Or what he saw.

Those lights everyone saw in the sky weren't tiny meteors burning up in the

atmosphere. They were some kind of strange, supercooled plasma that bathed the entire field - including Kyle - in alien energies, energies that boosted Kyle's intellect and gave him superpowers.

Unfortunately, the energies also brought Mighty Mike to earth.

Kyle is the only one who knows that Mighty Mike is an alien. Everyone else thinks that Mike is just some kid who stumbled into the field, got beefed up on meteor juice, lost his memory, and decided to start rescuing kittens from trees. But Kyle knows the truth. And he'll do anything in his power to stop Mighty Mike, even if it means being an Archvillain!

REVIEW

Fans if Barry Lyga’s previous books may be a little surprised when they pick up his newest book, Archvillain. Archvillain is written for a younger audience, and it certainly reads like it.

That said this is not a bad book. Personally once I got over the differences and expectations from his previous books in style and content I really enjoyed it.

Archillain reads like Grossman’s Soon I Will Be Invincible and the recent blockbuster movie, Megamind. I’ve always liked superhero stories and I’m guessing that if you read Lyga’s previous books you’re not new to the superhero genre yourself (given Lyga recently wrote Wolverine: Worst Day Ever.) This is clearly a superhero story but told from the point of view from the villain. It’s got clever and funny moments and kids in middle school and elementary school will love the action and pace of the book, making it a perfect fit for its desired age group.

All in all while I was disappointed that Archvillain wasn’t in Lyga’s normal vein of stories, I still enjoyed it. And I guarantee that kids (especially boys) in middle/elementary school will love it to, making it a fun good read for the holidays.

RATING

8 out of 10

INFO

Publisher: Scholastic Press

Published: October 1, 2010

Price: $16.99

Five Flavors of Dumb: By Antony John

FIVE FLAVORS OF DUMB

SUMMARY

The Challenge: Piper has one month to get the rock band Dumb a paying gig.

The Deal: If she does it, Piper will become the band's manager and get her share of the profits.

The Catch: How can Piper possibly manage one egomaniacal pretty boy, one talentless piece of eye candy, one crush, one silent rocker, and one angry girl? And how can she do it when she's deaf?

REVIEW

There are only a handful of truly talented young adult writers who can just knock the socks off anyone who reads their books. Authors like these create loyal fans who follow them to whatever their newest endeavors are. Such authors in my opinion include Jordan Sonnenblick, John Green, Rick Riordan, and Hilari Bell. If you haven’t read any of these authors I just mentioned you should, but the important thing to take away from this is that the author of Five Flavors of Dumb, Antony John, exhibits a number of characteristics to put him in this category of authors through his latest book, Five Flavors of Dumb, making it a must read for anyone out there.

Five Flavors of Dumb is fun, exciting, and full of engaging characters but most importantly it’s just plain well written. I know some people may think the premise seems odd, having a deaf teenager manage a rock band, but I implore you to reconsider with this book. John makes it work and he does it in a way that really makes the story and characters shine as a result of it. Piper is a fantastic protagonist and through John’s words readers truly get to feel her struggles. Her brother and the other supporting characters are both realistic as well as entertaining. And even Piper’s father becomes an intriguing character.

Besides the characters John does a terrific job creating an engaging and intriguing plot. Five Flavors of Dumb does not contain twists and turns such as the movie The Sting, nor does it focus on a sappy romantic love story like Twilight, instead it is a strong young adult premise with just enough twist to keep its readers on their toes and subplots that will both educate and engage readers worldwide.

John does a fantastic job creating a compelling and engaging story that both educates and captivates and really fills the story with fun realistic characters for the reader to enjoy. I personally loved this book and can’t wait for Antony John’s next book, because I truly believe Five Flavors of Dumb is a fantastic book that that anyone who picks it up will cherish.

I highly recommend.

RATING

10 out of 10

INFO

Publisher: Dial

Published: November 11, 2010

Price: $16.99