La Belle Sauvage: The Book of Dust, Volume 1

 La Belle Sauvage: The Book of Dust, Volume One by Philip Pullman, 449 pages

After finishing the "His Dark Materials" trilogy by this author, I've now gone back to reread the first in this companion series, in anticipation of reading the newest in this series for the first time! And it was never a struggle to reread any of these books, as I love them all.

Lyra and her daemon Pantalaimon were the main characters of the "His Dark Materials" trilogy, and this series begins with Lyra's "origin story" as an infant, when she was already being sought after for the part she is destined to play in a mysterious prophecy. Powerful forces work for against Lyra's safety, and it's difficult to know who is on the side of good. Malcolm Polstead, a boy living and working at the inn owned by his father, meets Lyra when a group of nuns become her caretakers. Malcolm has befriended the nuns, who live close to his father's inn, and he is fascinated and charmed by the infant Lyra. When a dangerous flood and sinister people threaten Lyra's safety, Malcolm escapes with Lyra and Alice, a girl close to Malcolm's age who also works at the inn, to the relative safety of the flood. The rest of the book is non-stop daring and adventure with bits of mythology and mysticism thrown in to keep the pages turning.

Pullman writes wonderful young characters who are distinct and likeable in their own ways, and Malcolm and Alice are as engaging and relatable as the characters of Will and Lyra in the previous series. We also encounter some of the adults we met in the previous series and get to know a bit more of their stories, and this book, like the others in the series, is action-packed, thought-provoking, and compelling. I can't wait to read the next one!

The Subtle Knife

 The Subtle Knife by Philip Pullman, 370 pages

Another great re-read! I read through this very quickly, but still managed to discover new things in this reading. This is the second of the "His Dark Materials" trilogy and introduces a new and very important character, Will, who lives in the world the reader knows. He must escape to a different world because he's being pursued and in this world, he meets Lyra and her daemon Pantalaimon of the first book of the trilogy, "The Golden Compass". 

Lyra and Will are mistrustful of each other at first, but soon join forces to help each other on their individual quests: Will is searching for his father, who has been lost all of his life. He fears that the men who are pursuing Will and his mother are also searching for his father. Lyra's goal is to right a terrible wrong and she will travel to new worlds to do so. 

Just like in the first book, we are introduced to shadowy and nefarious adult characters, but also adults and witches who are fighting on the side of right. In particular, we once again meet Serafina Pekkala, a witch who has vowed to help and protect Lyra, and Lee Scoresby, an aeronaut who sees Lyra as the daughter he never had. Just like the first book, there are some violent and difficult scenes. The themes of this book are for mature readers, but the writing is complex enough that young readers who aren't ready would also not be able to tackle the reading.

It's interesting to me that some reviewers really dislike Lyra. I find her to be a flawed character, yes, but the mistakes she makes she does because she is young, not because she is mean or unintelligent. I don't know what's not to like about her passion and drive to do the right thing. I can't wait to dive into the third book and was very excited to know that the second prequel to these books (another trilogy, this one titled "The Book of Dust") has been published! While it will be a lot of reading before I can get there, it's worth it to me!

The Secret Commonwealth

The Secret Commonwealth by Philip Pullman  633 pages

This is the second volume of Pullman's The Book of Dust, and honestly, if you have not read the first book, don't read this one --- it will make more sense if you're familiar with the first story.  Or at least familiar with the world Pullman has created.

In this story, Lyra Silvertongue (a/k/a Lyra Belacqua) is 20 years old and an undergraduate at St. Sophia's College. However, all is not smooth with her life, as her daemon, Pantalaimon, has witnessed a brutal murder. Lyra and Pan aren't getting along, a fact which is worsened when Pan reveals that the dying man entrusted Pan with a secret.  Lyra is also learning more about Malcolm Polstead's role in bringing her to Jordan College and as a result, is now traveling across Europe to find a desert said to hold the truth of Dust.

Okay, I admit it: I didn't love this story.  There are a lot of heartbreaking moments in this book between Lyra and Pan and frankly, she's a jerk through much of the book. Which is frustrating. And, the story gets dry at times, so even though she is on a quest, there were times when I felt the story just dragged. Combined with her unlikable character at this point in the story, it made for a less enjoyable read than I had been expecting.  I am hoping things redeem themselves in the next book. 

The Beckoning Shadow

The Beckoning Shadow by Katharyn Blair    463 pages -- read 350 pages

This YA fantasy novel focuses on Vesper, a teen runaway who has some dangerous powers. One of the many Oddities, she's a person who can summon your worst fear and turn it into reality. It's a scary sort of power, especially because she can't always control it.  Finding a group of other Oddities, Vesper learns there might be a way for her to rid herself of her power. However, to do this, she'll have to compete in the Tournament of Unraveling, where one wrong move can mean landing her or someone she loves in a world of hurt.

I got 350 pages through this before closing the book and returning it. I liked the idea of these powers, kind of like the tv show The Gifted, which is based on the X-Men universe. However, I felt like the story's pacing was a little slow and then I got a little bored by the main character and the fact that there was a love interest thing running through this.  I don't think this is as much a problem of the story as it is that I'm not the reader for this book.  Interesting premise, and for someone else, probably a really good story.

Daughter of Smoke and Bone - audiobook

Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor. Audiobook 10 discs, (422 pages)

I had previously posted about my re-read of this book, which I enjoyed. I needed something new to listen to in the car on my commute, so I thought I'd try this book on audio.  It made for a completely different experience.

The reader was very good, giving character's unique voices and accents, which I really liked. What I found, though, was that I actually didn't like the voice of Karou.  And I noticed something else: when I read this book, the language and writing style seemed to flow and I found it beautifully written. When I listened to it, however, it felt . . . a bit overwrought. I noticed there was more emotion when listening to it, almost to the point where it felt too dramatic. Everyone is pretty, so thin and attractive. Karou's emotions are so intense. Some of the action sequences are very dramatic. Listening to the book being read intensified the feel of the story, to the point where I didn't really enjoy it.

I realize that this is probably due to the fact that I am not a young adult -- and that's who this book is written for. If I were a younger reader and listening to this book, I'd be all over it (and loving reading the book, too).  However, the fact that I'm noting how some of the writing comes across to me as overly dramatic probably underscores the fact that I am an adult who does remember being a teenager, complete with emotional mood swings, but who doesn't experience those emotional mood swings any longer.  Thank goodness.

So, an interesting experiment, but I won't listen to the other 2 books in the series (and might not re-read them again right now, either).

Princeless: Raven, the Pirate Princess vol III

Princeless: Raven, the Pirate Princess vol III, Jeremy Whitley, 128 pages

A member of Raven’s crew has been gravely injured in the struggle against her brothers, and the crew flees to find a healer. Crewmembers tell stories of romance to keep each other company, and Raven attempts to persuade the healer to help a pirate.

What a great series. Romance begins to develop, and more awesome women join the cast. I really liked the part where Raven stops beating up a guard to help her with an asthma attack. A worthy follow-up to the earlier books.

Princeless: Raven, the Pirate Princess vol II

Princeless: Raven, thePirate Princess vol II, Jeremy Whitley, 128 pages

Bent on justice, Raven finally has a crew for her ship, but now she needs a heading! They set sail for the Island of Free Women in hopes of finding where her evil brothers have hidden themselves, but there’s trouble brewing no one could expect. And worst of all, the crew has to deal with each other!

This is a great continuation of the first volume. There’s action, adventure, hints of romance, and plenty of nasty men getting gloriously beaten up. Definitely a solid read.

The Gift

The Gift by James Patterson       PlayAway Book:  7 hours    Paperback:  400 pages          

Here I am again, caught in another series of books.   Didn’t know I picked up the second book in the Witch & Wizard series, however, the story was good enough to stand on its own and figure out.    Wish books were better labeled when they are a part of a series and which number they are in said series, but, this is an interesting story.    I’m not sure if the first book lets you know what year it is supposed to be taking place or not, but, many of the things the characters refer to seem to be contemporary though I would have thought this series might have been set in a future dictatorial society overrun by an evil sorcerer (hello Valdemort).   Witches are hunted in this story just like back in the burning times in Salem although again the setting is contemporary so think of cults being pursued in a way though not a compound full of older male pedophile sort of thing.    Seems there are families of witches who when discovered practicing their magic and outing themselves marshall law comes in and puts them into cellblocks where their magic abilities are being sucked out of their bodies.   The up side is if the prisoners behave and go along with the program they can earn points toward getting all the chocolate they can stuff themselves with until they heave (at which time they are taken to the vomitorium – same idea as the Romans).   There are surprising ghostly visits and surprise vortexes, shapeshifters – beware who you crush on!    And oh yeah, beware of the holograms, too, because even though they seem like your loved ones – why would they tell you to go along with the program?   Lots of action, lots of magic,  I liked the story – just would have rather began at the beginning.     Good story, lots of good ideas from other best selling like stories stolen that you will find here.   Always steal the best in your writing and Patterson did.   He played with the concepts and while it isn’t Harry Potter it is still an enjoyable read.

The Little White Horse

The Little White Horse, Elizabeth Goudge, 280 pages

Maria Merryweather and her governess, Miss Heliotrope, come to her distant cousin’s estate, Moonacre Valley, after her parents die, leaving her with nothing. She immediately finds herself at home in the beautiful countryside – the castle-like manor house with the tiny room just for her, the quaint village with a stream running through it, the magnificent hill with a ruined monastery on top, the odd dog-like creature Sir Benjamin keeps, and the mysterious little white horse glimpsed in the moonlight. But all is not well in Moonacre. The Men from the Dark Woods haunt the pine woods, reminders of an ancestral sin. Maria must make amends for the past and solve the mystery of the little white horse, lest she be forced to leave the valley forever.

I read The Little White Horse several times as a child, and it made more of an impact on me than I think I realized. It’s a truly charming story. Evil is defeated not through guile or strength of arms, but through kindness, love, and forgiveness. The valley itself is described in heartbreakingly beautiful terms, and it’s easy to see why Maria instantly falls in love with it, and how it makes her want to better herself and everything around her. Goudge’s sense of Christian spirituality is apparent and explicit, and could be distracting, but is handled with such tenderness that even a non-Christian reader will see the beauty in her philosophy. All that being said, the book’s gender roles are unfortunately a product of their time and it does suffer for that. But The Little White Horse is still a magnificent, charming, and beautifully kind story of amending past wrongs, healing generational trauma, and finding forgiveness within yourself.

The Seafarer's Kiss

The Seafarer’s Kiss, Julia Ember, 214 pages

Ersel has long wanted to explore, to see what lies beyond the ice shelf in which she and her fellow mermaids live. However, her childhood best friend, who she’d planned to run away with, has joined the king’s guard and increasingly buys in to the patriarchal mores of their society. When Ersel finds Ragna, a shipwrecked human woman, she is again presented with a choice: to flee and start a new life, or to stand up against the king’s tyranny. Either way, she’ll need to deal with Loki, the god of mischief, and Loki’s deals can never be trusted.

I went into this book with high expectations, which were pretty much immediately dashed, but then by the end of the book I was enjoying myself again. So this has been kind of a roller coaster. The writing is clumsy at times – Ember seems to forget that mermaids live underwater and structures parts of their society inconsistently with that (for instance, their dining hall). And although I expected a retelling of The Little Mermaid, I did not expect the references to the Disney version, which took me out of the fiction and reminded me strongly of the TV show Once Upon a Time. That being said, I think the book gets better as it goes, and I really liked the ending.

Princeless: Raven, the Pirate Princess vol I

Princeless: Raven, thePirate Princess vol I, Jeremy Whitley, 96 pages

This is a spinoff series from Princeless, in which Raven (the Pirate Princess) embarks upon a quest to revenge herself against her father and brothers for locking her in a tower and stealing her throne. But first, she needs a crew!

I liked this book quite a bit. Her crew is diverse and dynamic, with their own personalities and motives for joining. The art is good, though at first I found the coloring style a bit flat (I quickly got used to it and stopped feeling that way). I’m always nervous with these serially-published graphic novels that the art style will change suddenly, so I hope the next volume has the same artists.

Delilah Dirk and the King's Shilling

Delilah Dirk and the King’s Shilling, Tony Cliff, 263 pages

Lovable rascal Delilah Dirk is back! When a chance encounter with British Army officer Colonel Merrick goes sideways, she and Selim are accused of spying for the French army. She must salvage her reputation by any means possible, so the two adventurers chase Colonel Merrick back to England and fall in with the only thing more fearsome than him: Delilah Dirk’s mother.

This is a splendid follow-up to Delilah Dirk and the Turkish Lieutenant. Dirk is up to her usual mischief, leaving Selim to follow along and pick up the pieces as best he can. The previous novel focuses more on Selim’s character development, as he broke out of his shell and became an adventurer, using Dirk mostly as a catalyst. This one is more about Delilah Dirk herself, and although Selim is given somewhat shorter shrift, her selfishness and hot temper are not narratively excused, and it’s nice to see her grow and learn a valuable lesson. I just found out Tony Cliff just finished a third Delilah Dirk, and I’m really looking forward to it when it comes out.

Delilah Dirk and the Turkish Lieutenant

Delilah Dirk and theTurkish Lieutenant, Tony Cliff, 167 pages

All Selim wants is peace and quiet and a good cup of tea (make that a great cup of tea). But when Delilah Dirk, a swashbuckling, outrageous, exuberant adventurer-slash-thief-slash-do-gooder, escapes from prison after he questioned her, he is a suspected accomplice and the two must flee together. Delilah Dirk takes him on a rip-roaring, rambunctious trip around the land (on her scientifically unfeasible winged sailboat), and he finds himself becoming more and more enamored of the life of a wandering adventurer.

This is a great graphic novel. Delilah Dirk and Selim make up a classic comedy duo, full of banter, and the faces they pull at each other are truly spectacular. Cliff’s art is stunning – the action scenes are dynamic and visually interesting, and the panels often open up into gorgeous tableaus. But more important than the swashbuckling action and the beautiful art is Selim’s character development over the course of the book, and the trust and friendship that grows between him and Dirk.

The Tiger's Watch

The Tiger’s Watch, Julia Ember, 180 pages

Tashi, though meek and mild-mannered, is bonded with a rare golden tiger – odd, since animals usually choose Inhabitors who match their personalities. However, with the Myeiki army invading, having a tiger could come in handy. Tashi and their friend (and longtime crush) flee to a hidden monastery and shelter there, but a battalion of the Myeiki army is close behind, led by the brutal, yet conflicted (and staggeringly handsome) Captain Xian. Tashi must go against their nature to spy on Xian and learn why he’s really at the monastery, while fighting their growing attraction for him.

Honestly, I’m not sure how I felt about this book. I thought Tashi was a very compelling main character, even when making bad decisions, and the nonbinary representation was very good. But the love triangle was unnecessary at best and disturbing at worst – Xian is objectively horrible, and his internal conflicts don’t redeem him (the best that can be said is that he’s not as awful as he could be). Also, The Tiger’s Watch is very short, and the worldbuilding and plot feel rushed as a result. I can’t justifiably call it badly writing – Ember’s writing style comes off smooth and polished in the small scale – but overall it feels like it needs more development and expansion.

Foxheart

Foxheart, Claire Legrand, 469 pages

Although Quicksilver is only twelve years old, she’s already the greatest thief in the Star Lands (according to herself, at least). Her dog, named Fox, helps her endure the orphanage she has been raised in. But her world is thrown into disarray when the legendary Wolf King, a witch hunter of supernatural ability, appears in search of her – or perhaps the mysterious old woman who arrives at the marketplace. Quicksilver and Fox and a new friend, another thief, named Sly Boots, travel with the old woman to a world and time beyond imagining to fulfill their destinies and save the witches of the Star Lands.

This is a good book with a very solid premise that it doesn’t quite execute perfectly. It handles Quicksilver’s grief excellently and gives appropriate weight and importance to the sacrifices she and her companions make, which is a hard thing to pull off. I found those sections truly moving. But there is an out-of-character romantic subplot, and there’s little narrative payoff for her thieving ability (which would have been frustratingly easy to do). All that being said, Foxheart is definitely a good book and worth the read. Content warning for animal death.

Midwinterblood

Midwinterblood, Marcus Sedgwick, 262 pages, audiobook length 05:50:00

A reporter from the mainland investigates rumors of an island where people live unnaturally long lives. Two children are told a ghost story about a forbidden love. A pilot hides from the enemy army in a small farmhouse. The Viking chief’s brother returns after a long exile. A young girl befriends an elderly painter. An archaeologist discovers something wonderful and something horrible. A king sacrifices himself so that his people will not starve. Seven interconnected stories, reminiscent of David Mitchell’s Cloud Atlas, span from the near future to the immemorial past, all set on the Norse island of Blessed, where the mysterious dragon orchid blooms.

I went into Midwinterblood knowing absolutely nothing, so the short-story-esque format threw me off at first, and it took me a while to get into the swing of things. Although each chapter is indeed quite short, the book still feels like it takes its time, slowly circling around its thesis, and I wish each story had had more in common with the others, more parallels and interconnectedness. When all is said and done, though, I enjoyed the story and the format quite a bit. I would recommend Midwinterblood for someone seeking an abstract, artistic, and atmospheric novel, rather than someone hoping for a more traditional overall plot.

Shadow Scale

Shadow Scale, Rachel Hartman, 596 pages

War between dragons has erupted. The Old Guard have seized power, and Ardmager Comonot leads the Loyalists from the human kingdom of Goredd. At the bidding of her friends, the newly-crowned Queen Glisselda and her fiancé Kiggs, Seraphina must travel across the Three Kingdoms and up to isolated Porphyry, gathering her fellow ityasaari, or half-dragons, in hopes of rediscovering the secret of St. Abaster’s Trap, a weapon that could change the balance of the war. But Seraphina’s past comes back to bite her in the form of Jannoula, who once tried to seize her mind and possess her and now begins to weave a terrible net around Seraphina and her new friends.

This is a worthy follow-up to Seraphina. Hartman broadens her scope and shows us more of the world outside Goredd, taking us on a tour to the other kingdoms and even into Tanamoot, the embattled dragon homeland (where we see how sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic). The secrets of the ancient Saints are revealed, and Seraphina learns the extent and the limits of her own ityasaari powers. Jannoula is a terrifying adversary – able to steal into other ityasaari minds and twist them to her own purposes, and the fear and helplessness Seraphina feels come across very strongly. I’m very much looking forward to reading the upcoming Tess of the Road.

Seraphina

Seraphina, Rachel Hartman, 515 pages

Seraphina lives an uneasy life. Although the truce brokered nearly 40 years ago between the kingdom of Goredd and the nation of dragons still holds, her nature as a half-dragon must remain secret. Tensions rise as Treaty Day approaches, especially once Prince Rufus is discovered dead, murdered in a suspiciously draconic fashion. With the help of her (dragon) uncle and the alarmingly perceptive Lucian Kiggs (the captain of the guards, as well as the illegitimate cousin and legitimate fiancé of Second Heir Princess Glisselda), Seraphina races to unravel the conspiracy in the palace before the plotters manage to destabilize the treaty and spark another war.

This summary doesn’t do this book justice; there’s a lot going on here. Seraphina has visions of strange people she’s never met; she’s also the Assistant Court Composer and a highly talented musician; the dragons can take human form (and struggle with the powerful emotions their reptilian brains are ill-equipped to handle); and the plot is founded on a fascinating, well-thought-out world, complete with a truly unique religion involving a vast pantheon of saints. There is of course romantic tension between Seraphina and Kiggs, though it’s based on real respect and friendship. The only parts of the plot that ring false to me both involve timing: Seraphina has only been at court for two weeks before the book starts, which seems to me not long enough (in my opinion, two months feels like it fits better). The second is a fairly major plot spoiler, so you’ll just have to read and find out, which you should absolutely do. This is a great book.

Mortal Engines

Mortal Engines, Philip Reeve, 296 pages

London is hunting again, making its way across what was once Europe on a headlong dash to who-knows-where, hardly pausing to snap up smaller towns along the way, and 15-year-old Tom Natsworthy, Assistant Historian, Third Class, is delighted. Is it not natural that town should eat town, and Municipal Darwinism spread across the globe? But when he interrupts an assassination attempt on Head Historian Thaddeus Valentine and is cast out of London along with the would-be murderer, the horribly scarred Hester Shaw, he must question everything he thought he believed in.

The trailer for the upcoming movie adaptation came out a fewweeks ago, and I knew I had to re-read one of my favorite YA novels of all time. It’s a dark, but hopeful, satire of consumerism, patriotism, and warfare, set thousands of years after the old, mad American Empire bombed itself and much of the rest of the world into oblivion – the Sixty Minute War. The worldbuilding is perhaps my favorite part of the book, and it’s usually how I describe Mortal Engines when recommending it to friends: massive Traction Cities rumbling across the land, leaving churned mud in their wake; patched-together airships with crews of sky pirates trading relics of long-dead civilizations, such as idols of Mickey and Pluto, the animal-headed gods of old America; the Shield-Wall of Batmunkh Gompa sheltering the Anti-Traction League, or “Mossies” (as in, a rolling stone gathers no moss); the terrible spectre of Grike, the Resurrected Man, with his metallic screech of a voice, the last remnant of the Lazarus Brigade. Mortal Engines is a masterpiece. I highly recommend it, and I hope that the movie does it justice.

NB: Many reviews call Mortal Engines steampunk. It's not steampunk – there's no steam engines. Just like Mad Max, it's more appropriately called dieselpunk.

Our Dark Duet

Our Dark Duet, Victoria Schwab, 510 pages, audiobook length 10:32:00

After her father’s death and the fall of his regime, Kate has fled to Prosperity to hunt new kinds of monsters. August has been thrust into a leadership role in the Flynn Task Force and struggles to suppress his humanity as his brother’s voice whispers in his ear. Sloane, once thought dead, has survived and taken over half of Verity with the aid of Alice, a monster born of Kate’s act of violence. The war has come to a stalemate, until Kate stumbles across a brand-new monster that sows chaos wherever it goes.

As I read this book I kept repeating to myself: “Negative character development is still character development.” But no matter how much I reminded myself of that, there’s only so much bleakness I can handle, and this book really pushed the limits. I’m honestly having a hard time writing this review because I am so glad to finally be done. Kate spends most of the book fighting against a supernatural murderous rage that wells up inside her; August is a hollow shell, and the more he feeds, the hollower he becomes; Sloane of course is a blood-soaked nightmare; and I am so tired. Dear reader: call it quits after This Savage Song and pretend there’s a happy-ever-after in this world.