Fool Moon

 Fool Moon by Jim Butcher, 401 pages

This is the second book in the Dresden Files series, starring wizard Harry Dresden, who operates as sort of a private investigator in modern-day Chicago. He also serves as a consultant to the Chicago Police Department when they need someone versed in the supernatural to help solve crimes that are clearly not run of the mill. 

This book, like the first one, started quickly with a lot of action and gore, as Harry is asked to investigate some grisly murders that appear to have been done by wolves (but we all know we're talking about werewolves - I mean, look at the title!). We get reintroduced to Karrin Murphy, a Lieutenant with the Chicago PD, who wants Harry's help on this case but is still ticked at how he handled the last case they worked together. Also making a comeback from the first book are Gentleman John Marcone, a crime boss, and Susan Rodriguez, who works for a tabloid paper and becomes something more than just a colleague for Harry.

What I really enjoyed about this book is the same as what I enjoyed about the first book: great characters (I very much like the character of Gentleman John and it looks like he'll be a recurring character), plenty of action, and a good plot. I find magic with complicated rules a distraction in a book and I'm glad that the magic described is simple and not the main focus of the story. I'm glad I found this series and I look forward to reading more!

Over the Woodward Wall

 Over the Woodward Wall by A. Deborah Baker  (Seanan McGuire)  204 pages

"Avery is an exceptional child. Everything he does is precise, from the way he washes his face in the morning, to the way he completes his homework – without complaint, without fuss, without prompt. Zib is also an exceptional child, because all children are, in their own way. But where everything Avery does and is can be measured, nothing Zib does can possibly be predicted, except for the fact that she can always be relied upon to be unpredictable. They live on the same street.  They live in different worlds. On an unplanned detour from home to school one morning, Avery and Zib find themselves climbing over a stone wall into the Up and Under – an impossible land filled with mystery, adventure and the strangest creatures. And they must find themselves and each other if they are to also find their way out and back to their own lives."

Woot!  Another great story from Seanan McGuire!!  Her writing is beautiful, evocative and so descriptive that you can imagine yourself right there with Avery and Zib. I really like how she writes characters who are children -- they are interesting and sometimes exceptional, but never precious and she never dumbs things down. This book reminded me of the best Neil Gaiman books (back when he wrote stories for adults like Neverwhere and Anansi Boys). 

I enjoy how the author weaves together a story where you cannot trust that everything will be ok. You can't trust that Avery and Zib will meet other characters who will be nice and good, and you also can't assume that those other characters are who they say they are. There's a lovely, unbalanced quality to the story and there's no shying away from things that might be uncomfortable just because Avery and Zib are children. I love that.  More, please!!!

The Collasping Kingdom (Book 3 in The Land Without Color series)

The Collasping Kingdom (Book 3 in The Land Without Color series)  by Benjamin Ellefson;  illustrated by Kevin Cannon  162 pages

This is the final book in “The Land Without Color” seris, and I have really enjoyed the series. It is highly imaginative and quite unique.

In this episode, all the color is missing from the Kingdom. There are no fruits and vegetables that give the people their color; I found this an intersting way that the author gives parents to explain to their children the importance of eating their fruits and veggies.

Brandon has gone to Grandpa Alvin’s house only to discover two things: Grandpa appears to be missing and there are giant holes in his basement. Brandon barely escapes the collapsing ground around him.  In addition, Officer Reed is still trying to locate Alvin and arrest him on truancy charges.

Brandon begins to investigate why there are suddenly whole neighborhoods and blocks, seeming along with many other who appear to be missing, collapsing into giant holes. It’s all Brandon can do to stay one step of the giant holes.

He makes his way back to school and enlists his best friend’s help to determine what is happening.  Along the way, the boys are aided by a giant eagle and encounter soldiers riding spiders, the return pf the Snakes, and the two princesses they met in Books 1 and 2.

While I enjoyed the read, I felt that Book 3 was the weakest. It was more tell than show. It felt like the author was tired of the Kingdoma and ready to move on to something else. I could be wrong, but the story didn’t have the edge-of-your-seat-vibe that the others had. Therefore, “’The Collasping Kingdom’ (Book 3 in ‘The Land Without Color’ series)”  receives 3 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world.

Sabriel

Sabriel - Garth Nix;  311 pages

The story of a young woman born intrinsically linked to death, charged by blood with the responsibility to send the dead back to their realm with the use of Charter Magic and a set of silver bells through which the magic is controlled. She commences her duties as Abhorsen — the title given to the current living member of her bloodline — as she searches for her father, who is trapped in death, somewhere between the fourth and fifth gates. She picks up some friends along the way; Mogget, who is an embodiment of chaotic Free Magic trapped for centuries in the form of a white cat by a previous Abhorsen; and Touchstone, a former member of the Royal Guard. Together, this trio works to find Sabriel's father, and stave off the ever-advancing legions of dead that will not die.

Garth Nix, Australian by birth, presents a unique take on magic and how it is used. Magic exists in two forms; Free Magic, which one can infer is the primordial magical force; and Charter Magic, which allows the use of Free Magic by way of symbols, or Charter Marks, and sounds ranging from handbells to whistling. Mr. Nix doesn't go into the details on how any of it works, beyond stating-as-fact its functions or results. Per numerous GoodReads reviews, this is problematic and challenging for the reader. However, it does remain engaging enough to be interesting and compelling. Furthermore, he apparently does a better job of fleshing it all out in his subsequent books.

Mr. Nix utilises an interesting naming convention, which was difficult to place in origin or inspiration. As there is no apparent link to a living language, it made pronunciation of names difficult, not to mention remembering characters outside of their scenes. Ultimately it proved easier to merely gloss over names outside of the main trio, and build the scene around the actions as opposed to the characters.

Certain details of Sabriel felt somewhat forced or otherwise unnecessary. For example, there is a part wherein Sabriel is observing a very finely crafted wooden statue, that is so incredibly lifelike, down to its "circumcised penis." In the book there is no sex or even sexual content; the most we get is a polite kiss. However, it does add an interesting note regarding the culture of the characters; Mr. Nix himself comes from a country that does not commonly circumcise, nor is it a necessary detail of the scene. I'm onto you, Mr. Nix.

The book ends with a very gripping scene, one that I couldn't stop reading once it started developing. All in all, if you're one for fantasy fiction, I would consider this book to be necessary to have in a repertoire, if only for the unique and refreshing approach to magic.  

Widdershins

Widdershins by Charles de Lint   560 pages

This book is considered #11 in the Newford series, according to Goodreads.  What that tells you is that if this the first book by this author that you've picked up, you're coming in pretty far in a series. However, if you haven't read any other Newford books, you won't be hopelessly lost.  Although it does help if you're a little familiar with some of the characters and settings from previous books.

Some readers have mentioned that this seems to be the closest thing to a sequel that de Lint has written and it does seem like a sequel to The Onion Girl, taking place two years after the events in that book and featuring some of the same main characters. However, if you didn't read The Onion Girl, you'll still be able to catch on to the storyline. I have read many of de Lint's books and enjoy some of them more than others.  I've read this one more than once, but hadn't re-read it for a while, so there were a lot of elements I had forgotten. One of the things I enjoy about de Lint's stories is that he brings together interesting characters, settings and elements of fairy and Native lore.  He also gives you multiple character viewpoints, which can make the story much more interesting (and also can make it confusing if you forget who's who). In this story, I felt like there could have been a little editing, especially with one of the characters. However, the story moves along pretty smoothly and there's some climactic action about 3/4 of the way through.  However, that means you still have 1/4 left and that's a little droopy.  The pacing has some falters in it, and that's one of the drawbacks of having so many character viewpoints.  But, I still enjoyed the book and found it to be a good re-read.

The Land Without Color

The Land Without Color by Benjamin Ellefson; illustrations by Kevin Cannon   168 pages

I tried to find the email where the author contacted me about reviewing his three-book series, “The Land Without Color.” The first book’s title is the same as the series. When it first arrived, I saw that the main character (who turns out to be Alvin) was African-American and that the title referred to race. I was so wrong!  This is a highly imaginative tale that was a lot of fun to read.

When the gang wants to go fishing, leaders Brandon and Steven needs something to cut the string that they will use as poles. Since Grandpa Alvin lived close by the pond, the gang of about six to eight kids jump on their bicycles and race over…as boys are wont to do.

Grandpa pulls a small Swiss Army knife from his pocket, a knife that he has had since he turned twelve. Grandpa Alvin tells that Brandon that the knife was given to him by Brandon’s great-great-grandfather Otto and it “saved my life many times.”

Then the story switches to Alvin’s twelfth birthday. His parents take him to visit Grandpa Otto. Grandpa Otto gives him the knife as a present. While Alvin is waiting to go home, he starts to chew a stick of never-popping gum his parents gave him earlier in the day.

As he begins to blow a bubble, it grows, and grows, and grows, and grows. It really is never-popping and soon the giant bubble begins to float, taking Alvin with it. Once he manages to land, he doesn’t recognize the place. Nothing looks familiar and it’s colorless. Everything is gray. Everything!

As he begins to explore, he runs into a small snag, but it’s how he meets a talking squirrel named Permiella, Permy for short, and learns that he has landed in the Kingdom of Color. Permy tells him how the color from the land has been stolen. Alvin decides that is unacceptable and vows to restore color to the kingdom.  And off they go on their grand adventure, meeting a charming little rat named Ronaldo, “battle man-eating plants, outsmart the bumbling Crimson Guards, cross the Sugar Desert, overcome the two-headed dragon, and find the color-stealing goblins.” The story is a lot of fun.

The story is framed with Brandon and his pals, which was totally unnecessary. For that reason, “The Land Without Color,” receives 4 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world.