Terror

The Terror by Dan Simmons, 766 pages

The year is 1848.  Over a hundred men are spending their second winter trapped in their two ships, HMS Erebus and HMS Terror, off the coast of King William Island.  They are surrounded by ice, wind, and darkness.  They are running low on food, rum, and coal.  Worst of all, they are being hunted by a preternatural creature strong enough to tear a man in half and clever enough to sneak onto the very decks of their ships.  Nearly as mysterious is the young Esquimaux woman the crew call Lady Silence, who may or may not know something about these men and their fates, but whose tongue was bitten off at the root by someone or something long ago. 

The Terror falls prey to some of the cliches of historical fiction.  There's an extended passage in which a character expounds on the as yet unpublished theories of Darwin with which he is implausibly (though not impossibly) familiar, and Simmons only barely avoids turning his Inuit into noble savages.  The monster, being an unstoppable killing machine with an unknown origin and purpose, is unavoidably reminiscent of similar figures in Simmons' science fiction novels.  In another novel the monster would be a center of tension, something that can be directly faced and overcome in a way that cold and darkness cannot, but Simmons establishes fairly early on that nothing the sailors can do will more than temporarily inconvenience the creature.  When answers are provided, it is in the form of an exposition dump that could have been copy-pasted from some alternate universe's Dictionary of Inuit Mythology.  Nor do the characters provide much interest, for while a few are genuinely memorable, they have little to do except suffer through hundreds of pages of detailed descriptions of frostbite and scurvy, and the reader is invited to suffer alongside them.

And yet.

The final hundred pages are compelling in a way they could not have been without the long tale of thwarted adventure and dreary survival that preceded them.  It could perhaps have been more artfully done, but that it was done at all is a marvel and a gift.

Apex

Apex by Mercedes Lackey, 294 pages

“Being a member of the Elite Hunter Command imperils Joy in more ways than one. In their latest clash with Othersiders, the army of monsters nearly wiped them out. Apex City is safe?for now. But within the city barriers, Joy must wage a different kind of war. The corrupt and powerful PsiCorps is determined to usurp the Hunters as chief defenders of Apex City and Joy is now squarely in their crosshairs. Unused to playing political games, she has very few people she can truly trust-not even Josh, her first friend in Apex City, who broke up with her when it became too dangerous for a Psimon to be dating a Hunter. Then Josh comes to Joy for help. He fears that Abigail Drift, the head of PsiCorps, will soon use him in her twisted experiments designed to empower PsiCorps and render Hunters superfluous--a scheme that's already killed off dozens of Psimons. Joy manages to smuggle Josh to safety, but he cannot evade Drift forever? As Joy faces ever more powerful Othersiders, she is helped by the most surprising ally imaginable---the same Folk Mage she once met in battle on the train to Apex City. But can Joy trust the most cunning and treacherous of all Othersiders? In the thrilling finale to Mercedes Lackey's #1 New York Times bestselling trilogy, Joy must risk everything to end a brutal war?before she loses all she's ever loved.” If I have any complaints about this book it’s that it doesn’t completely feel like the end. 

A Plague Of Bogles

A Plague Of Bogles by Catherine Jinks, 330 pages

“Jem Barbary becomes a bogler's apprentice in 1870's London and gets the fright of his life in a city where science clashes with superstition and monsters lurk in every alley.” This book combines two of my favorite genres: fantasy and historical.  It also has a touch or horror about it.  Kids who like the combination will definitely want to read this series.

Monsters And Mold

 Monsters AndMold by Asia Citro, 96 pages

“A girl, Zoey, and her cat, Sassafras use science experiments to help a monster with a problem.” The Reading Pays author donated the second book in the series for us to give away as well.  The second book is very similar to the first, and I’d recommend it for early elementary childrens.

Zoey & Sassafras: Monsters and Mold

Zoey & Sassafras: Monsters and Mold by Asia Citro, illustrated by Marion Lindsay  96 pages

This is the second book in the Zoey and Sassafras series..

Ever since Zoey and her cat, Sassafras, helped a baby dragon she named Marshmallow, she has been waiting for the magic doorbell to ring. In the meantime, Zoey is experimenting with mold, how it grows in various conditions.

It’s the perfect setup when the doorbell finally rings. Poor Gorp has an embarrassing problem: his fur is moldy. He’s tried everything he knows to do and has taken all the advice he’s been giving, but nothing works. He’s heard the stories in the forest that Zoey can cure so he has come to her for help.

In addition to the moldy fur, which is a source of bullying from other forest creatures, the annual Monster Ball is in just a few days. Gorp has never been, but he wants so badly to go. Sassafras reminds Zoey to put on her Thinking googles and try to help him.

Using scientific methods to conduct and collect the data, Zoey does her best to help Gorp. 

There seemed to be a lot more science in this episode than in the first one. The book is geared toward ages 6-10 in grades 1-5. I worried that may be it was a little too advanced, so that is why Zoey & Sassafras: Monsters and Mold receives 4 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world.

Our Dark Duet

Our Dark Duet by Victoria Schwab, 510 pages

“Kate Harker is a girl who isn't afraid of the dark. She's a girl who hunts monsters. And she's good at it. August Flynn is a monster who can never be human. No matter how much he once yearned for it. He has a part to play. And he will play it, no matter the cost. Nearly six months after Kate and August were first thrown together, the war between the monsters and the humans is a terrifying reality. In Verity, August has become the leader he never wished to be, and in Prosperity, Kate has become the ruthless hunter she knew she could be. When a new monster emerges from the shadows--one who feeds on chaos and brings out its victim's inner demons--it lures Kate home, where she finds more than she bargained for. She'll face a monster she thought she killed, a boy she thought she knew, and a demon all her own.” I really liked the story and was satisfied with how it wrapped up.  The ending wasn’t exactly happy, so I didn’t like it as well as I could have, but it made sense in the context of the story and the world so I still liked the book over all.  I’m sure that teens who like fantasy and horror will enjoy it, although I would recommend reading This Savage Song first.

This Savage Song

This Savage Song by Victoria Schwab, 427 pages

“Kate Harker and August Flynn are the heirs to a divided city--a city where the violence has begun to breed actual monsters. All Kate wants is to be as ruthless as her father, who lets the monsters roam free and makes the humans pay for his protection. All August wants is to be human, as good-hearted as his own father, to play a bigger role in protecting the innocent--but he's one of the monsters. One who can steal a soul with a simple strain of music. When the chance arises to keep an eye on Kate, who's just been kicked out of her sixth boarding school and returned home, August jumps at it. But Kate discovers August's secret, and after a failed assassination attempt the pair must flee for their lives.” The more I read Schwab the more I love her.  I’m excited to read the next book in the series and will be giving this series to teens who like fantasy horror.

Elite

Elite by Mercedes Lackey, 360 pages

“Hunting monsters was supposed to be the hard part. When Joy came to Apex City, all she cared about was protecting the Cits from the dangers lurking outside protective barriers. She understood the need for the secrecy surrounding her Hunts-no need to cause a panic by announcing just how real a threat the Othersiders pose. But as she quickly discovered, the conspiracies of the city run much deeper. And a dangerous new covert mission leaves Joy with a target on her back once more. Joy desperately seeks answers to figure out who her real enemies are before all-out war.”  This is the Sequel to Hunter, which I didn’t realize when I started reading it.  I would have preferred to read them in order, because there were a lot of references in the beginning to events from the previous book.  Despite that, I really liked the book.  I would highly recommend it to teens who like fantasy and adventure, especially if they like battle scenes and death.

Hunter

Hunter by Mercedes Lackey, 374 pages

“They came after the Diseray. Some were terrors ripped from our collective imaginations, remnants of every mythology across the world. And some were like nothing anyone had ever dreamed up, even in their worst nightmares. Monsters. Long ago, the barriers between our world and the Otherworld were ripped open, and it's taken centuries to bring back civilization in the wake of the catastrophe. Now, the luckiest Cits live in enclosed communities,behind walls that keep them safe from the hideous creatures fighting to break through. Others are not so lucky. To Joyeaux Charmand, who has been a Hunter in her tight-knit mountain community since she was a child, every Cit without magic deserves her protection from dangerous Othersiders. Then she is called to Apex City, where the best Hunters are kept to protect the most important people. Joy soon realizes that the city's powerful leaders care more about luring Cits into a false sense of security than protecting them. More and more monsters are getting through the barriers,and the close calls are becoming too frequent to ignore. Yet the Cits have no sense of how much danger they're in-to them, Joy and her corp of fellow Hunters are just action stars they watch on TV. When an act of sabotage against Joy takes an unbearable toll, Joy uncovers a terrifying conspiracy in the city. There is something much worse than the usual monsters infiltrating Apex. And it may be too late to stop them.”  Excellent book.  I hope more books in this series are planned because I love it.  I would highly recommend it to teen fans of fantasy and adventure.

Incryptid Series

Discount Armageddon, Midnight Blue-light Special, Half-Off Ragnarok, Pocket Apocalypse, and Chaos Choreography by Seanan McGuire, 1766 pages total


So I tried to write a good summary of this series half a dozen times and could never quite get the right wording and vagueness that would compel an interested party to read further, but yet not spoil any of the books. Lacking the words I needed I went to Seanan's website for guidance, or in this case a nice neat summary.
"Cryptid, noun:

1. Any creature whose existence has been suggested but not proven scientifically. Term officially coined by cryptozoologist John E. Wall in 1983.

2. That thing that's getting ready to eat your head.

3. See also: "monster."

The Covenant of St. George was founded to uphold one simple ideal: anything that was not present on the Ark—anything they deemed "unnatural"—needed to be destroyed. Monsters. Creatures of myth and legend. All of them would be wiped from the Earth in the name of Man's dominion. Unfortunately for them, not all the monsters agreed with this plan...and neither did all the human beings.

After their rather abrupt departure from the Covenant, Alexander and Enid Healy found themselves alone in the world, but with a simple mission of their own: to protect the cryptids of the world from those who would harm them without just cause. It was a cause that would eventually claim both their lives, leaving their children, and their childrens' children, to take up the fight. Now in the modern day, their descendants struggle to stay beneath the Covenant's radar, while defending the cryptids from humanity—and humanity from the cryptids."

Thanks Seanan. 

Unlike most series this one is divided up between two different, but related main characters, siblings Verity and Alex. For books 1, 2 and 5 you will be with the ballroom dance loving Verity, and for books 3 and 4 with the reptile loving Alex. Since I am more into reptiles then ballroom dancing, I found Alex's books far more interesting. It could also be his actual love for being a cryptozoologist, unlike his sister who treated it like a day job. No matter which sibling the reader is with, there is plenty of danger, excitement, and weirdness. 

My final recommendation: This series is well worth the read, if nothing else for the cryptid world that Seanan weaves, that and the talking mice. Yes, talking mice, and they are awesome. 

Max the Brave

Max the Brave by Ed Vere   32 pages

A cute book for Preschoolers through Grade 2.

Max is very brave, very black kitten who chases mice. Problem is, Max doesn’t know what a mouse looks like. So off he goes in search mouse. Since this is such a short book, I don’t want to be a spoiler. You’ll just have to read it to find out what obstacles get in Max’s way.

I give Max the Brave 5 out of 5 stars.

Claymore Manga Part 2

Claymore Volumes 6-15 by Norihiro Yagi, (1984 pages in ten books)

Why, oh why does it seem the longer a manga series goes on, the more likely it is to fall onto the circular leveling track? For those that do not know what circular leveling is, it’s where the hero of the story trains and trains to beat people, and despite being at the top of their game they still come across a stronger opponent. This opponent either beats them, or right as they are about to die fighting, they discover this new power they didn’t know they had. Of course this allows them to win, and then they spend more books strengthening this power, until yet again it is not enough.

This cycle can continue indefinitely. It was why I stopped reading One Piece, though I am tempted to return to it. My main reason for disliking this cycle is the series gets kind of stale. Not that the series is bad, but I know what to expect. Every tenth book the hero gets stronger, the next three after that they learn to utilize their power better, by the halfway point they have mostly mastered their power. Around book *7 they can easily beat everyone they come across. *8 build up to the big fight. *9 the big fight where the hero faces death, or losing. *0 the hero wins/survives by gaining some power they never knew they had. Repeat as needed.

Now that my ranting is over, I can talk about the Claymore series itself. I have stated in previous blog posts, the Claymore series is about an origination of women soldiers who are half Yoma (a demon) and half human. This blend allows them to kill the true Yoma that exist in the world. This ability to protect humanity comes at a cost. Eventually a Claymore will be unable to control the demon within them and will lose control and become an Awakened, a super strong Yoma that has special powers. To prevent this most women sacrifice themselves when they feel the change happening.

For the most part the series follows a Claymore named Clare, but there are entire volumes where we don’t see her. In this nine volume run the focus is less on killing Yoma and more on the Awakened and Abyssal Ones. Abyssal Ones are former top ranked Claymores that failed to prevent themselves from awakening. They are extremely hard to kill and sort of act like demigods in the series.

While I can already see this forming into the infinite leveling, I still enjoy this series. Each Awakened being is unique in both form and power, and there is a massive underlying plot that I am quite curious about. I certainly will keep reading this series, though I don’t know for how long.

The Boy Who Drew Monsters

The Boy Who Drew Monsters by Keith Donohue
273 Pages

"Ever since he nearly drowned in the ocean three years earlier, ten-year-old Jack Peter Keenan has been deathly afraid to venture outdoors. Refusing to leave his home in a small coastal town in Maine, Jack Peter spends his time drawing monsters. When those drawings take on a life of their own, no one is safe from the terror they inspire. His mother, Holly, begins to hear strange sounds in the night coming from the ocean, and she seeks answers from the local Catholic priest and his Japanese housekeeper, who fill her head with stories of shipwrecks and ghosts. His father, Tim, wanders the beach, frantically searching for a strange apparition running wild in the dunes. And the boy's only friend, Nick, becomes helplessly entangled in the eerie power of the drawings. While those around Jack Peter are haunted by what they think they see, only he knows the truth behind the frightful occurrences as the outside world encroaches upon them all."

Donohue continues to write with a hint of the mystical and the book while not as strong as his first book "The Stolen Child"  examines family life when a child is autistic. The book was reminiscent of a Stephen King book.

Monster Blood Tattoo: Foundling

Monster Blood Tattoo: Foundling by D. M. Cornish, 434 pages

I am not a reader who enjoys world-building. I read for characters and atmosphere and am generally unimpressed by the energy authors spend creating worlds filled with made-up species and languages and continents (I’m looking at you Mr. Tolkien). Monster Blood Tattoo is a series that involves A LOT of world building, but it’s done in a way that works for me. Cornish’s books are set in the Half Continent, a land filled with monsters and magic, but instead of using up valuable page real estate on world building, there is a 100+ page “Explicarium” (aka glossary) and numerous appendices at the end of the novel. I LOVED this approach – when I wanted more background information, it was there for me to read, but it didn’t slow down the plot.

Foundling follows the adventures of Rossamund Bookchild, an orphan from Madam Opera's Estimable Marine Society for Foundling Boys and Girls, as he sets out to join the ranks of the Emperor’s Lamplighters. His journey is fraught with misfortunes including piratical riverboat captains, monsters of all shapes and sizes, famous monster hunters and more. What seems at the book’s start to be a black and white relationship between humans (good) and monsters (bad) has begun to become muddied by the book’s end and promises to become even greyer in the subsequent books.

I had a hard time getting past what I consider a truly awful title for this series (maybe “Monster Blood Tattoo” is a more appealing name to teenagers? I feel like it’s just trying too hard). Clearly, I had some hurtles when it comes to this book, but I’m really glad I gave it a shot. I’ll be reading the second book despite the fact that it’s a whopping 700+ pages – a length that would typically deter me.

How To Catch A Bogle

How To Catch A Bogle by Catherine Jinks, 313 pages

Birdie is a bogler’s apprentice, which means she is the bait to trap the bogle.  Birdie has a wonderful singing voice and she is smart and fast.  Alfred Bunce is a good bogler.  He’s only ever lost one apprentice to a bogle and has no intention of ever losing another.  Since bogles love to eat children and usually ignore adults entirely, only children work as bait.  A young woman of quality, Miss Eames, is interested in creatures such as bogles and asks the two of them to allow her to come along on a bogle hunt.  Because she plans to pay them, they agree.  When Miss Eames realizes that bogles are real, not just folklore, and how dangerous they are, she begins a campaign to get Birdie into another line of work before she is hurt or killed.  Birdie staunchly refuses, especially since orphans have begun disappearing and it’s up to her and Mr. Bunce to sort it out, since it is almost certainly the work of a bogle.  This was a really good scary fantasy adventure for kids.

How to Survive a Sharknado

How to Survive a Sharknado and Other Unnatural Disasters by Andrew Shaffer, 223 pages

For people who enjoyed the Zombie Survival Guide, and How to Survive the Robot Uprising comes How to Survive a Sharknado. With things like "Who Said it? Evil Wizard Dimitar or Kanye West?" and comments like "Don't take pictures of the Elecktrokraken.- Survival is more important than page views or retweets." this book is a great read, especially if you have seen and enjoy SciFi original movies. If you enjoy laughing, and over the top survival guides I would recommend reading this book.

Hack/Slash

Hack/Slash Omnibus V1 by Tim Seeley, 416 pages

 

Ever since I saw Nathans review of this on the blog I knew I had to read it eventually. Sadly there were no libraries close that owned it so I had to ILL (interlibrary loan) it. I was quite pleased with the book. In it a young women by the name of Cassie hunts down villains known as slashers. A good example of a slasher would be Jason Voorhees or Chuckey, who is featured in the book. She is aided by disfigured man named Vlad.

This book and likely the whole series is in graphic novel form and gives an interesting twist to the traditional slasher movie genre. The book is for mature audiences and I would recommend it to anyone that enjoys horror movies. There are at least for more omnibuses in the series, and I intend to read all of them.