Category: Fantasy
The Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan
(Cover picture courtesy of Wikipedia.)
Percy Jackson’s seventh-grade year has been surprisingly quiet. Not a single monster has set foot on his Yew York prep-school campus. But when an innocent game of dodgeball among Percy and his classmates turns into a death match against an ugly gang of cannibal giants, things get…well, ugly. And the unexpected arrival of his friend Annabeth brings more bad news: the magical borders that protect Camp Half-Blood have been poisoned by a mysterious enemy, and unless a cure is found, the only safe haven for demigods will be destroyed.
In this fresh, funny and wildly popular follow-up to The Lightning Thief, Percy and his friends must journey into the Sea of Monsters to save their camp. But first, Percy will discover a stunning new secret about his family—one that makes him question whether being claimed as Poseidon’s son is an honor or simply a cruel joke.
Filled with more plot twists than the first book, Percy Jackson fans will love The Sea of Monsters. To me, it was even better than The Lightning Thief because we see the relationships between Percy, Annabeth and Grover develop much more. And we also learn that Percy isn’t the only living son of Poseidon, which was one of the better surprises.
One of the things I love most about Rick Riordan’s writing is how he seamlessly blends the Greek myths into his novel without achieving an obnoxious level of beating-you-over-the-head-with-a-stick ‘hinting’. It gives readers who know nothing about Greek myths some background information, but it also has more subtle allusions to Greek myths. One of these is when Grover his weaving but unraveling his day’s work every night to avoid the cyclops finding out he is really a man. This is an allusion to the myth of Penelope, Odysseus’ wife who wove a burial shroud for her father-in-law, the elderly Laertes, and unraveled it every night. She had told her suitors she would choose one when she finished, but she had no intention of marrying again and chose to stay faithful to Odysseus. So there really is something in here for everyone, whether you know a lot or next to nothing about the Greek myths.
With a fast-paced plot and believable characters, I can’t find much to complain about in The Sea of Monsters. It doesn’t quite live up to all of the hype surrounding the series, but that doesn’t mean it’s not a good book. And since it helps get kids and teenagers interested in reading, I’m all for it.
I give this book 4/5 stars.
Icefire by Chris d’Lacey
(Cover picture courtesy of Chris D’Lacey’s website.)
In the exciting sequel to The Fire Within, David must uncover the truth behind the mysterious clay dragons. David’s quest is to discover the link between the fire of the last known dragon on Earth and the icy regions of the Arctic. It’s a journey that will change his life forever, a journey that will bring him to the very heart of the legend of dragons and the mysterious, ancient secret of the icefire…
It’s rare that the second book in a series is better than the first, but this is one of those exceptions. Now that the story has been set up, Chris d’Lacey is able to focus more on his writing and characters. And this new ability to focus on the basics of the novel really makes Icefire an excellent read.
David is given a lot more depth than before and he also acts more like a college student than a kid in this book. We actually get to see him go to college and meet his mysterious professor, Dr. Bergstrom, who is certainly not all that he seems to be. Mix in quirky and captivating characters like Zanna and “Aunty Gwyneth” and Icefire contains a large variety of characters. The climax will keep readers on the edge of their seats as new allegiances are revealed and secrets are discovered, but it is the cliffhanger ending that will make readers eager to get their hands on the next book, Fire Star.
In addition to a higher quality of writing and better characters, we learn a whole lot more about the origins of the Pennykettles’ unusual clay dragons. This detail was neglected in the first book, but it takes centre stage here in Icefire, much to my delight. I admit that I am way too old to be reading this children’s series, but Chris d’Lacey’s series really is enjoyable for all ages because it has a surprising amount of depth, considering the age of its target audience. The books grow ever more complex as the series progresses, and for that, I tip my hat to the author for placing trust in his readers’ intelligence.
I give this book 4/5 stars.
Hand of Isis by Jo Graham
(Cover picture courtesy of Orbit Books.)
Charmian is handmaiden to Cleopatra. She is also an oracle, gifted with ancient memories that may hold the key to preserving Egypt. Through blood and fire, war and peace, love and death, she will face a desperate struggle that will remake the future of the world.
Cleopatra is one of the most written about figures in history and I’ve rarely seen a new take on her story. Yet Jo Graham has managed to do this in Hand of Isis by telling the story from the perspective of her half-sister handmaiden, Charmian. As you can probably guess from the blurb, Charmian has special powers that help her half-sister rule Egypt in a time when only men were rulers and this book is a cross between fantasy and historical fiction. Yet this mixture of fantasy and history works well because Jo Graham has obviously done her research on the historical events.
The plot is not exactly fast, but it certainly is interesting. You will learn more about Cleopatra reading this novel than you will from any history textbook out there, I guarantee that. Jo Graham has paid incredible attention to historical details, so much that I would say not even Pauline Gedge has managed this level of attention to detail. And that’s really saying something. Filled with romantic subplots and magic, Hand of Isis will also keep you reading into the early morning hours, even though you probably can guess how the story ends.
Charmian is a very realistic protagonist because like real people, she is full of contradictions. She is sort of carefree when it comes to love, but at the same time she is responsible because she takes control of some of the governmental functions so Cleopatra is not as overwhelmed. Cleopatra herself is definitely not the cold-blooded seductress that the Romans and most of history painted her as, but a capable leader who would do anything for her country. What she, Charmian and Iras sacrifice for Egypt truly is amazing.
I give this book 4.5/5 stars.
The Iron Queen by Julie Kagawa
(Cover picture courtesy of Julie Kagawa’s website.)
My name is Meghan Chase.
I thought it was over. That my time with the fey, the impossible choices I had to make, the sacrifices of those I loved, was behind me. But a storm is approaching, an army of Iron fey that will drag me back, kicking and screaming. Drag me away from the banished prince who’s sworn to stand by my side. Drag me into the core of conflict so powerful, I’m not sure anyone can survive it.
As most of you are aware, I am a shameless Julie Kagawa fan. I love the entire Iron Fey series, but The Iron Queen (the third book) is my absolute favourite. Here’s why:
Meghan Chase has finally acquired a backbone.
Unlike in The Iron Daughter, she has finally learned how and when to hide her emotions and lie. She’s also more sure of her love for Ash and has stopped doubting him so much. Overall, she’s just a better character and she’s far less helpless as she learns how to fight and use her glamour. By the climax, when she faces the new Iron King, she shows incredible bravery and makes an enormous sacrifice in order to save the Nevernever. It’s satisfying and extremely touching at the same time because readers could see hints of Meghan’s inner strength before, but now it finally shows through.
Since the stakes are even higher than before, there is hardly a dull moment. The plot speeds along at a tremendous pace as the battle for the fate of the Nevernever begins. This is the kind of book that will keep you reading into the early morning; you won’t want to put it down. And the ending will make you desperate to get your hands on the last book in the series, The Iron Knight.
I rarely read series in order, but Julie Kagawa’s Iron Fey series is an exception. I was amazed at the world-building in the first book, captivated by the admittedly cliché love triangle in the second book, but what I loved in this book was the quality of the writing. The wonderful thing about reading an author’s first series in order is that you get to see how much they improve in writing, characterization and world-building. Julie Kagawa has improved greatly since her debut novel and I think we can expect great things from her in the future.
I give this book 4.5/5 stars.
The Supernaturalist by Eoin Colfer
(Cover picture courtesy of Tighe Chemidlin.)
In the future, in a place called Satellite City, Cosmo Hill enters the world, unwanted by his parents. He’s sent to the Clarissa Frayne Institute for Parentally Challenged Boys. Freight class.
Here, the boys are put to work by the state, testing highly dangerous products. Cosmo realizes that he must get away, and escapes with the help of the Supernaturalists, a group of kids who have the same special abilities as Cosmo—they can see the supernatural Parasites, creatures that feed on the life force of humans. The Supernaturalists patrols the city at night, hunting the Parasites in hopes of saving what is left of humanity in Satellite City. But soon they find themselves caught in a web far more complicated than they’d imagined, and they discover a horrifying secret that will force them to question everything they believe in.
As a book reviewer, I hate to use clichés, but there really is only one word to describe The Supernaturalist: unique. Eoin Colfer’s more famous Artemis Fowl series and even his stand-alone novel, The Wish List have overshadowed his brilliant science fiction novel. Written with the humour and imagination I have come to expect from him, The Supernaturalist is absolutely brilliant.
Cosmo is pretty much your stereotypical protagonist in the beginning, but as the story progresses, he develops at a very natural pace. And as he slowly finds out the truth about the Parasites, we really do see an interesting side of him: the brave, more daring side. His struggle to fit in with the Supernaturalists, who have a group dynamic similar to that of The Thief Lord, also makes him identifiable with pretty much every adolescent in the world.
Eoin Colfer inserts so many plot twists and turns in The Supernaturalist that I can pretty much guarantee that you won’t be able to guess the ending, which is a huge surprise. The surprise ending is a whopper, but it’s also incredibly satisfying and brings some closure to this novel. For once, I have nothing to criticize about a book’s ending because Eoin Colfer was able to finish it in a pinch.
I give this book 5/5 stars.