The Magician King

I could not have been more excited to hear that Lev Grossman was following up his amazing book The Magicians only two years later with The Magician King. I remember devouring The Magicians, which at the time I likened to an adult version of Harry Potter, at breakneck speeds. So getting my hands on a copy (well, virtually, and that's a whole 'nother story) of The Magician King was a priority.

First, I should say that I regret not re-reading The Magicians. Grossman jumps right into the story with no real refresher to speak of. I felt myself struggling to remember exactly what had happened to characters in the first book when the events were alluded to here.

Overall, I loved the Magician King and the way it continued this imaginative story arc. Is much of this book (hell, the series) cribbed from classic children's literature? Absolutely. This book reeks of the Chronicles of Narnia, mostly The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, just like the first book was obviously influenced by Harry Potter. And while I found this a bit grating at times (I get it! Two kings and two queens, just like Narnia! Wise talking animals! A ship sailing into uncharted waters!), for the most part, this book works precisely because we all know the stories they're alluding to. However, I ended up enjoying the parts that felt familiar but weren't the most. (Here I mean the fable of the quest for the seven keys of Fillory, which the main plot revolves around.)

The story follows two paths: Quentin, king of Fillory, ventures out on a quest (ostensibly to collect taxes from a far-off province) and learns what it means to be a hero, and a flashback to Julia, a magic school reject, becoming a hedge witch and then so, so much more. At first, I found the two narratives jarring - why should I care about Julia's past when Quentin is obviously the one we care about? But as Quentin's quest progresses, the parallels with Julia's quest to become skilled in magic become obvious. The idea of humility versus hubris in a hero comes up repeatedly, but not in a way that is obtrusive or annoying.

Obviously, it's a bit silly to review a sequel here without having reviewed the original book. Like I said, it's been a while since I read it, but I can't recommend it enough (even having forgotten most of everything). Trust me, read The Magicians - you won't want to wait to dive right into The Magician King.

4/5 stars

Good Neighbors

I recently stumbled upon the podcast Geek's Guide to the Galaxy and have been devouring the past episodes. I find the hosts interesting (although a little too true to the geek stereotype, and I often find myself shouting at the radio that they're wrong about things they know nothing about, like the entire horror genre, but I digress) and informative. For a podcast hosted by an author and an editor, you would assume that all their guests would be in the book world, but that pleasantly isn't the case.

Holly Black, author of the Spiderwick Chronicles, amongst other things, was a guest about a year ago. I enjoyed her episode very much, and although I wasn't left with a strong desire to read her most famous works, I was intrigued by her description of a graphic novel series she had written called Good Neighbors. She hooked me with the premise - a woman goes missing, and her husband is blamed, but their daughter believes that there are more supernatural things at work - and when I saw all three books in the series sitting next to each other at the library, I pounced.

I am glad that I took out all three books at once, because I'm not sure I would have made the effort to go back for them otherwise. I was simply not wowed by this series. The concept itself is very cool and the writing was good enough, but the art is just as important as the story in a graphic novel, and that's where I felt this one fell short. I had a hard time telling characters apart at times, and some characters seemed to change specific characteristics (the things you need to tell people apart!) from scene to scene.

Although, to be truthful, part of the problem may just be that I don't care that much for fairies (or faeries, or however you want to spell it). There are just so many supernatural creatures out there to read about, and fairies have always been pretty far down on my list. I don't care much for the fairy plotlines in the Sookie Stackhouse books either. I will say, though, that Holly Black has clearly made a spot for herself in a world filled with supernatural stories. I have had her book Tithe highly recommended to me, so I think that will be my next try at her work.

2/5 stars

Breaking Dawn

It’s been a while since I have been quite so excited about the release of a book – I think Ellen Emerson White’s Long May She Reign (the continuation of a series that I read when I was actually a teenager) was the last book I couldn’t wait to get my hands on. So I let my inner 16-year-old girl out for the release of Breaking Dawn, the final book in the Twilight saga by Stephenie Meyer, and spent an entire day (my birthday, in fact, and an enjoyable birthday it was) just reading.

Was I right to get so worked up for this book? Yes… and no. The first three books (well, really just books one and three) totally captivated me. Just the fact that they were able to make me think like a 16-year-old again was a testament to Meyer’s writing. But with all the Twilight talk (both about this new book and the horrible miscasting of the upcoming movie), the book just couldn’t meet the hype.

The biggest problem that struck me was that the story read like fanfiction – stories written by fans who can’t give up on their favorite characters. Don’t get me wrong, there’s some excellent fanfic out there, but I expect a little more from someone so in charge of the story and from something I’m paying money for. Breaking Dawn even adheres to the fanfic tenant that the characters you love the most suffer the most – I mean, Bella has always been a little too clumsy, a little too breakable, but come on… really?

Surprisingly, I quite enjoyed the middle section of the book, told from Jacob’s POV. I was highly pissed off at the end of Eclipse, when the narration slipped to Jacob without warning, but in this case, I was relieved not to be in Bella’s head for a little while. And through Jacob, there was much to learn about the way the La Push pack operates.

Honestly, I couldn’t have cared less about the finale. There was so much build up for very little conclusion. But I guess that just means that I’ll have to turn to the real fanfic now to find some more good Twilight stories…

The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor the the Nation, Vol. 1

Octavian is raised in a world of science and is told from a young age that he is an exiled prince of a great African nation. However, when rumblings of revolt shatter the walls of the lyceum, the true nature of Octavian's birth and life are revealed.

The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Vol. 1: The Pox Party opens in a time and place which are unclear, but as the story unfolds, it is clear that it takes place in Boston just before the American Revolution. The writing style, mostly in the voice of Octavian himself, is therefore very florid and somewhat archaic, making it very hard to digest as a Young Adult novel. In fact, because of the writing style, I can't picture many young adults getting far enough into the book to discover the historical aspects of it. That's not to say that it's not a good book - just that it may be missing the mark a bit.

I did have another problem with the writing style - Octavian's narrative is interspersed with letters from various characters, which is fine, as they add another depth to the narrative. However, about two-thirds of the way into the book, the narration changes to letters written by one Patriot soldier, who happens to meet and befriend Octavian. Then, there is another abrupt switch back to Octavian's POV. This was terribly jarring to me and, while I realize that Octavian wasn't in his usual mindset during that part of the story, I felt a bit cheated to only get the soldier's side of the story.

Overall, I can't say that I recommend this book, unless you are really interested in historical fiction dealing with the American Revolution. For stories dealing with that time period, though, this is a breakthrough novel, both in terms of the narrator and in the narration style. if you enjoy this book, Volume 2: The Kingdom of Waves, will be released in October.

Queen of Babble in the Big City

Lizzie met the man of her dreams and found her calling in France. Now she's moved to New York to try to make both of those things work for her. She jumps into living with her boyfriend Luke, after only a few weeks together, and is forced to take an unpaid job reworking wedding dresses to make her career goals. Of course, things are less than stable, and Lizzie has to stand up for what she wants.

In typical over-the-top style, Queen of Babble in the Big City is an enjoyable, fast-paced chick lit novel. I mean, there's really nothing earth-shattering with this series, but Meg Cabot knows how to handle funny, self-deprecating, driven women. I prefer her books The Boy Next Door, Boy Meets Girl, or even the Heather Wells mystery series (which begins with Size 12 Is Not Fat), but the Queen of Babble series is a good time. Book 3, Queen of Babble Gets Hitched, was just released, so I'm sure I'll be picking that up soon for a beach read.

The Titan's Curse

The Titan's Curse is third in the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series by Rick Riordan. Overall, the stories are getting a little repeatative, and yet, I couldn't put it down. I'm still totally enamored of the melding of ancient myths with modern life. The first book of the series, though, still holds the most magic for me.

Eclipse

I finished Eclipse, the third book in the Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer, a while ago and just forgot to post. I have to say, I was quite happy with this book, as it was much more exciting than New Moon. That's not to say that Bella wasn't whiny or didn't pass out randomly... Rather, I enjoyed the love triangle more having all three people in the same place, and I liked the uneasy truce that Edward and Jacob come to in order to protect Bella.

**Here be spoilers**

I found the battle with Victoria and her babies very exciting, and learning the details of the main battle in the field only after the fact made it seem more intense.

One thing that bothered me, though, was the last chapter told in Jacob's POV. I can understand wanting to show his emotions over the impending wedding, but to go three whole books with Bella and then suddenly be with Jacob really threw me for a loop...

**There be spoilers**

And I'm still on Team Edward... although, after Jacob acting as a warming blanket in the tent, I'm beginning to see the light on the whole Team Jacob thing...

New Moon

New Moon begins with Bella's 18th birthday, with a party hosted at the Cullen's home. But Bella, in typical clumsy style, ends up getting hurt, and once her blood is spilled, the vamps have a hard time resisting. Shortly thereafter, the Cullen's leave town, leaving Bella to her thoughts... and to a burgeoning friendship with Jacob.

Despite Jacob's role in caring for Bella in Edward's absence, I'm still firmly an Edward girl. I think this mostly has to do with Edward's 80-something years of experience and how suave he can be because of that. Jacob is still an awkward teenager, and he doesn't have the weight of "eternity" behind his actions.

Truth be told, I feel a little odd, having been so completely enamored by this series meant for teens. I've read these first two books incredibly quickly, and I'm already well into book three. What are some other great series (YA or not) that have pulled you in?

The Sea of Monsters

Wow, I've really been on a YA binge lately. I started the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series last month. The first book, The Lightning Thief, follows Percy Jackson as he finds out that the things that have troubled him his whole life - dyslexia, ADHD, trouble making friends - were all because he was a demigod - half human, half Olympian. Percy arrives at Camp Half-Blood, meets all the other half-bloods, and goes on a cross country quest to find Zeus' missing lightning bolt.

The second book in the series, The Sea of Monsters, has a similar set-up: Percy comes to Camp Half-Blood suddenly and is presented with a quest - this time to save his satyr friend Grover from being eaten by the cyclops Polyphemus. The resulting travels to the Sea of Monsters (aka the Bermuda Triangle) follow Homer's Odyssey fairly closely, complete with trips to Scylla and Charybidis, Circe's island, and Polyphemus' sheep farm.

With this second book, the idea of a prophesy surrounding Percy becomes more clear as well. It was hinted at in the first book, but here, the prophesy is stated outright - but only before it becomes somewhat unclear as to who it pertains to. Very reminiscent of the whole Harry Potter and Neville Longbottom thing...

Speaking of Harry Potter, this series has claimed a little of the Harry Potter hype. Percy, like Harry, is something of an outcast, even once he is among "his own kind." He has few friends, one of whom is a smart girl who knows she's right about everything. And instead of magic, there's plenty of Olympian gods and monsters popping by, showing off exactly what they can do. Oh, and Chris Columbus is apparently directing the first movie, which should be out in about a year and half.

I originally picked up the first book to give to my nephew, but I was too intrigued not to read it myself. I would definitely recommend it to anyone who enjoys Classics, as these stories are able to twist the familiar into something new and fresh.

Twilight

A while ago, I was reading a thread on LibraryThing about crushes from YA books, and one name kept coming up over and over again: Edward Cullen. I had no idea what book he was from, but I was obviously missing something huge. Around the same time, I started to hear about a new teen vampire movie being made. Being the brilliant woman I am, I put two and two together and got Twilight.

Twilight follows Bella, who moves to the small town of Forks to live with her father in order to give her mother some space with the new husband. Enrolled in her new school, Bella quickly learns that not all of her classmates are friendly; some downright don't want her there. It plays out like a modern, vampire-filled Romeo and Juliet (that is, if the Montagues were undead), filled with furtive glances, swooning, and sigh-filled conversations. Hey, if it worked for Shakespeare...

And what about all those fellow Thingamabrarians who have crushes on Edward Cullen? Yep, I can count myself among their numbers now.

The Dark Tower

OK, so I'm finally going to post something about... anything. Been long enough, hasn't it?

Much of this past spring has been spent with my friends Roland, Eddie, Susannah, Jake, and Oy. For the first time since 2004, when Stephen King finished his epic Dark Tower saga, I read all seven of the books in one go, relishing my time spent with the characters. This is a series that I talk about to (and pretty much push upon) everyone I know, and yet very few have actually taken me up on this journey.

Time and again, I argue that it's one of the greatest series of recent years. And yet, despite King being one of the most famous authors out there, almost no one has read it. Even a lot of hardcore King fans are intimidated by it or think it won't be their cup of tea.

The first book, The Gunslinger, is a big part of why some people won't read the series. Out of all the books, it is the most heavily based in the Western genre - rinky-dink towns in the desert, nameless gunslingers just passing through, the not-quite-innocent woman. You can practically feel the sun beating down on your neck as you read. And yet, it contains one of the most epic sentences ever written - "The man in black fled across the desert, and the gunslinger followed."

As the books progress, more and more of King's supernatural tendencies show up, and the references to his other books begin to pile up as well. But it's Roland and his ka-tat that hold the story together. They are a family, a tight-knit group, and what happens to them is almost more important that what is happening to the world around them.

**Here be spoilers**

The wait between books 4 and 5 was 8 years, and King was really only pushed to finish the series after his almost-fatal accident in 1999. As a result, that accident plays into the books (especially book 7, The Dark Tower), a fact that apparently caused many readers a good deal of grief. Not me, though.

That's not to say I wasn't pissed when King showed up as a character in book 6 (Song of Susannah). But with book 7, it became clear that that was the only way the story could have happened. Had there been no pressure for him to write the stories, they never would have been written. Had he not come close to death on the side of a road in rural Maine on June 19th of 1999, he might never have had the guts to finish Roland's story.

**There be spoilers**

The Tower took up so much of my thought process while I reread it this year, it even invaded my other blog.

If you've already started the series (or have finished...but then, you're really never done with the Tower, are you?), there are a few great additional resources out there. Robin Furth's Concordance is an encyclopedia of Tower tidbits, sure to entertain and enlighten the most hardcore Tower fans. Bev Vincent's The Road to the Dark Tower is also fantastic, and he sums up all of the books while pointing out useful trivia or important themes.