Category: Book Review
The Iron Legends by Julie Kagawa
(Cover picture courtesy of Goodreads.)
Dangerous faeries. Heartbreaking romance. Thrilling action and limitless adventure. The world of the fey has never been so powerful. This collection includes three novellas set in the world of the Iron Fey plus the Guide to the Iron Fey with exclusive information about Julie Kagawa’s unforgettable world of Faery.
Winter’s Passage
Never make a promise to a faery. They always come to collect. Now Meghan Chase must fulfill her promise to Prince Ash of the Winter Court and embark upon a dangerous journey into the heart of enemy territory—while being pursued by a relentless new foe and guarding her own foolish heart.
Summer’s Crossing
What can turn enemies into reluctant allies? A call from the Exile Queen, Leanansidhe, ties legendary prankster Puck to his archenemy, Prince Ash, on a journey that may end in betrayal and will set them both on an irreversible path.
Iron’s Prophecy
Before she ever knew what might become, Iron Queen Meghan Chase was warned by the oracle that her firstborn child would bring nothing but grief. And even as Meghan and Ash celebrate their long-awaited union, the prophecy stirs….
Being the Luddite that I am, I still do not own an e-reader and frankly don’t plan on getting one. Reading on a screen strains my eyes and paperbacks are much more portable (or at least, more convenient to move without worrying about the battery draining). This is why I’m so glad that Julie Kagawa’s formerly e-book only novellas are now available in print—I never would have been able to read them otherwise.
For fans of The Iron Fey, the three novellas and the Guide to the Iron Fey will be great additions to the series. If you haven’t read all of the books in the series, then you should not read The Iron Legends because there are some massive spoilers. Besides that, you won’t be able to appreciate all of the interwoven plot lines nearly as much. Much like how Cassandra Clare has joined her Mortal Instruments and Infernal Devices series, Julie Kagawa has joined her Iron Fey series with her brand new series, Iron Fey: Call of the Forgotten. And, as someone who obtained an ARC of The Lost Prince, let me say that you had better read the novella Iron’s Prophecy before you read it. It explains a lot of the secondary characters’ behavior towards Ethan.
Although the Guide to the Iron Fey promises to have exclusive information, there really isn’t all that much that’s new. Julie Kagawa expands a bit on the Nevernever, but there’s nothing really all that special that makes the guide a must-read. Well, unless you’re a fan of Grimalkin because the Cait Sith has his own ‘comments’ on his biography and much of the information about the world of faeries. However, what follows the guide is an excerpt from The Lost Prince and it definitely makes the wait for October 23 more difficult. Even though I obtained an ARC from NetGalley and my review won’t appear until later this month, here’s a hint: it was so good I intend to buy a print copy when it comes out.
To wrap things up: if you love the Iron Fey, you’ll love this anthology, but you should read all four books in the series before you read The Iron Legends.
I give this book 4/5 stars.
Flyte by Angie Sage
(Cover picture courtesy of Free eBooks.)
It’s been a year since Septimus Heap discovered his real family and true calling to be a wizard. As Apprentice to Extra Ordinary Wizard Marcia Overstrand, he is learning the fine arts of Conjurations, Charms, and other Magyk, while Jenna is adapting to life as the Princess and enjoying the freedom of the Castle.
But there is something sinister at work. Marcia is constantly trailed by a menacing Darke Shadow, and Septimus’s brother Simon seems bent on a revenge no one understands. Why is the Darke Magyk still lingering?
Bringing fantasy to new heights, Angie Sage continues the journey of Septimus Heap with her trademark humor and all of the clever details readers have come to love.
Although I gave Magyk, the first book in the Septimus Heap series, a mediocre review, I still continued on with the series as it had potential. As it turned out, that was the right decision.
Now that Septimus has been found and reunited with his family and Jenna has finally been claimed as the lost princess (something that was obvious from the beginning), Angie Sage begins to focus more on their character development. They are able to grow beyond their archetypes and readers will be much more sympathetic to them, especially when there’s an unexpected betrayal in the family from Simon. Simon himself is kind of your stereotypical tortured Judas: he’s angry at being passed over for an Apprenticeship in favour of a much younger person he doesn’t believe is really his brother. Unfortunately, he doesn’t really grow beyond this stereotype, but for a book meant for ages 9-12 he’s a decent enough villain.
What I like about Flyte is that we see a lot more of Septimus’ world and learn a lot more about it as well. Now that Septimus is Marcia’s Apprentice, we also learn a little more about Magyk, although we still don’t learn as much as I would like. However, the book is meant for people much younger than I am, so I don’t think it will bother many readers. Aside from the fact we never really learn what the source of Magyk is, Angie Sage has still created an interesting fantasy world that readers will love. It’s not completely unique and you will find a lot of fantasy tropes, but she does put her own spin on things so it doesn’t stray too far into the annoying cliché range.
I give this book 4/5 stars.
The Song of Troy by Colleen McCullough
(Cover picture courtesy of Goodreads.)
In The Song of Troy, the bestselling author of The Thorn Birds recounts the tale of Helen and Paris, the immortal lovers who doomed two great nations to a terrible war. It is told through the eyes of its main characters: the sensuous and self-indulgent Helen; the subtle and brilliant Odysseus; the sad old man Priam, King of Troy; the tormented warrior prince, Achilles; and Agamemnon, King of Kings, who consents to the unspeakable in order to launch his thousand ships. This is an unputdownable tale of love, ambition, delusion, honour and consuming passion.
The Song of Troy is thus far my favourite book dealing with the Trojan War and I’m lucky I even found it at all because it was in the ‘Almost New’ section of my local bookstore. I almost never found it, except that the picture of Helen on the spine drew me to it. Yes, I judge books by their covers; I’m a horrible person. It’s nearly five hundred pages long but they read fast and before too long, it’s over and you’re left feeling sad. You probably know how the Trojan War ends (hint: the Greeks kick butt), but after falling in love with the characters over 500 pages, it’s hard to let go.
In any other author’s hands, each chapter being told from a different point of view would be annoying head-hopping. Yet in Colleen McCullough’s book, you don’t really get that sense. Each chapter is clearly labelled as being a new point of view and when each new person picks up the tale, they are moving the action forward, not merely recounting what happened to them up until that point. Of course characters like Helen, Odysseus, Achilles and Agamemnon get more page time than minor characters like Diomedes, Automedon and Nestor, but you get the sense that you know each character intimately.
What I like best about The Song of Troy is that we get behind-the-scenes explanations for each character’s motivations. Achilles, instead of being portrayed as a complete [expletive of your choice], we see how it was necessary to have a very public break with Agamemnon over—you guessed it—a woman. Odysseus is my favourite character in the whole book because he’s intelligent, crafty and politically savvy. He’s notorious for his irreverent, but utterly brilliant advice on how to win the war:
“You could, of course, starve them out.”
Nestor gasped in outrage. “Odysseus, Odysseus! There you go again! We’d be cursed to instant madness!”
He wriggled his red brows, unrepentant as ever. “I know, Nestor. But as far as I can see, all the rules of war seem to favour the enemy. Which is a great pity. Starvation makes sense.” (Pg 182)
This was my first Colleen McCullough novel and I’m most definitely looking forward to reading her famous series, The Masters of Rome. If The Song of Troy is any indication as to how much research she does, how well she plots novels and how sympathetically she portrays historical figures…well, let’s just say I will have stumbled onto my new favourite series.
I give this book 5/5 stars.
*Sadly, The Song of Troy is only available as a used book.
Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator by Roald Dahl
(Cover picture courtesy of Tumblr.)
Now that he’s won the chocolate factory, what’s next for Charlie? Last seen flying through the sky in a giant elevator in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Charlie Bucket’s back for another adventure. When the giant elevator picks up speed, Charlie, Willy Wonka, and the gang are sent hurtling through space and time. Visiting the world’s first space hotel, battling the dreaded Vermicious Knids, and saving the world are only a few stops along this remarkable, inter-galactic joyride.
Only Roald Dahl could write a book like this and pull it off so well. It’s hilarious and over-the-top, but also has some nice messages for kids at the end because Charlie Bucket is a great character. Willy Wonka himself is most definitely a memorable character; you can never forget the eccentric chocolate factory owner, even if you try.
My fourth grade teacher read this book aloud to my class and I never, ever forgot it. The Vermicious Knids, Miss Tibbs, Grandpa Joe, the Oompa-Loompas…how could anyone ever forget creatures and characters like that? Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator has an interesting plot and fantastic world-building on Roald Dahl’s part. I have no idea where he came up with half of this stuff, but I can say that everyone who reads his books will appreciate his creativity.
This is one of those books I re-read about once every year and I find something new to enjoy about it every single time! It’s a classic that will never really be outdated and because of that, it’s a great book to pass on to your kids. The writing style is simple enough for younger kids to understand, but it doesn’t feel as if Roald Dahl is talking down to you, even for older readers.
I give this book 5/5 stars.
Ever by Gail Carson Levine
(Cover picture courtesy of Life Simplified.)
Falling in love is easy…
…for Kezi, a beautiful mortal, dancer, and rug weaver, and for Olus, Akkan god of the winds. Their love brings Kezi the strength to fight her fate, and it gives Olus the strength to confront his fears. Together—and apart—they encounter spiders with webs of iron, the cruel lord of the land of the dead, the mysterious god of destiny, and the tests of the Akkan gods. If they succeed, they will be together; but if they fail, Olus will have to endure the ultimate loss, and Kezi will have to make the supreme sacrifice.
Newbery Honor author Gail Carson Levine has created a stunning world of flawed gods, unbreakable vows, and ancient omens. Her story of love, fate, and belief is spellbinding.
Based on Mesopotamia, the world Gail Carson Levine has created in Ever is a nice chance after reading a lot of Euro-centric fantasy lately. It follows that familiar mythic structure you find all around the world while still remaining free of too much cliché. When you enter the world of Kezi and Olus, you realize just how much effort Gail Carson Levine put into world-building because of the social structure, religion and history we learn throughout the novel.
One of my main problems with the novel is that I couldn’t really connect with Kezi or Olus. I know I am far from the target age group of Ever, but even so, I should have been able to connect with them on some emotional level, but I couldn’t. As they struggled through their challenges, I really found myself not caring what happened to either of them. To me, they seemed like flat, one dimensional characters, even though common sense says they shouldn’t because of their believable motivations and backstories. Perhaps it is just me who couldn’t connect with the characters (it wouldn’t be the first time), but it’s something to keep in mind.
Ever is told from the points of view of both Kezi and Olus, which would be fine if it weren’t for the fact that Gail Carson Levine writes such short chapters. It doesn’t build suspense when it’s done this way; it’s simply annoying and more than a little bit confusing. Yes, I know it’s an ages 10 and up book, but give your readers some credit here! The shortest chapter I saw was one line and one paragraph long (chapter 53, by the way). Now that is getting ridiculous, don’t you think?
I give this book 2.5/5 stars.