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Posts tagged ‘Fantasy’

Scarlet in the Snow

I received my copy from the publisher.

scarlet-in-the-snow

By: Sophie Masson

Natasha and her family have fallen on hard times, they aren’t living in the manner her sisters want to be. With her mother doing what she can to provide Natasha steps out to help. Then she gets caught in a blizzard, just when she thinks she is out of options she stumbles across a mansion. It’s a strange place, beautiful and mysterious, with no-one seemingly around. However when she reaches out to touch a perfect flower her life is changed forever.

The master of the house is caught in a spell but that doesn’t stop him demanding vengeance for her act. She comes to see she may be the one to break this spell, to uncover the mystery, but before she can everything changes again. If she is to have a chance at the love she thinks she could have then she has to outsmart a powerful sorcerer and get to the bottom of Beast’s unknown history.

A wonderful take on a couple of Russian fairytales, obviously one of which is Beauty and the Beast. Natasha is a generous, brave character. She has an inner strength that enables her to face the problems her family have and the terrifying situation she finds herself in. She is smart and determined, thinking her way through the obstacles in front of her.

The world Masson has created is wondrous, enchanting, it simply sweeps you up into itself. It’s a white, icy landscape, cold in so many ways, the perfect juxtaposition to the warmth of the story at it’s heart. If you love fairytales, romance, engaging characters and a bit of mystery thrown in for good measure, then give this a shot.

Actually if you just want to be swept away somewhere else for a few hours then pick this up, I read it in one sitting, staying up late into the night to finish it.

Highly recommended.

Publisher: Random House Australia

Published: 1st May 2013

Format: Paperback 336 pages

Categories: Fantasy, Romance, Fairytale

ISBN 13: 9781742758152

Purchase: use the Booktopia link on the side of the page

Category:

Young Adult Fiction

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The Interrogation of Ashala Wolf

9781921720086By: Ambelin Kwaymullina

The Tribe bk 1

Ashala Wolf has been captured by Chief Administrator Neville Rose. She is in the hands of a man who will do everything he can to destroy her, for he believes in destroying her he will end The Tribe, the group of young runaways she is leader of. Ashala will not give up so easily. She is a leader who will do whatever she has to to protect her friends. Things don’t look good for Ashala, she is injured, has her ability to sleepwalk blocked by one of Neville’s gadgets and is about to be put on the very illegal Machine. If she succumbs her secrets will be given up to those she is fighting against.

A decimated world, with restricted technology and a fear of those who are different, may not be an usual backdrop but Kwaymullina has taken these familiar things and made it her own. Ashala is wonderful. She is strong, powerful in both ability and character. Justin Connor is a love interest with a difference and to say more  would give too much of the plot away. The story is layered, a complex thing revealed at the perfect pace to keep you engaged. I believe it’s a good thing when you don’t want to put a book down until it’s finished and this book was like that. It also has a touch of spiritual often associated with indigenous peoples, this natural empathy adds a unique and appealing dimension.

It has been included on several book awards short lists including the Aurealis Awards and the CBCa’s.

Highly recommended.

Publisher: Walker Books Australia

Published: 01 July 2012

Format: Paperback

Categories: Fantasy, Dystopian,

ISBN 13: 9781921720086

Purchase: here or use Booktopia link on the side of the page

 

Category:

Young Adult Fiction

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Shadow and Bone

I received my copy from the publisher9781780621418By: Leigh Bardugo

Book 1 of the Grisha Trilogy

Alina and Mal are orphans. She is pale, seemingly insignificant and grows to be a mapmaker. He is talented, charming and popular and grows to be a gifted tracker. He is her only real friend. One day he is threatened and her power is unleashed, throwing her unwillingly into a world she never dreamed she would be a part of, The Grisha – the kingdom’s magical elite. Her rare power sets her apart even from them though and she is a prize in a competition she doesn’t understand. Alina has to study magic and learn to master her ability all whilst trying to understand the powerful machinations going on around her.

Alina is an interesting character. She hides who she is, and is mostly content with her anonymity. She doesn’t want the attention that her sudden rise brings. She struggles to master the ability she hid for so long. At heart she is quite timid but draws strength from her mission and from Mal. Mal is a sold presence, he keeps Alina connected to reality. The Darkling is a bad guy on every level, he is sly, conniving and manipulative, you wonder how someone can be drawn to him as Alina is. Power is seductive though and Bardugo depicts this well.

The world building is well detailed from the colours and grandness of the Palace to the darkness and menace of the Fold. This story has a grand plot with power and it’s corrupting ability at it’s core. As Alina is drawn to that which frightens her it will be interesting to see where Bardugo takes these characters.

Publisher: Indigo (an imprint of Orion Children’s) 

Published: 05 June 2012

Format: Paperback 320 pages

Categories: Fantasy, Magic

ISBN 13: 9781780621418

Purchase: here or use Booktopia link on the side of the page

Category:

Young Adult Fiction

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Dragon Frontier

I received my copy from the publisher.

9780141342962By: Dan Abnett

Jake Polson and his family are setting out on an adventure. They are joining a wagon train to make a new start out on the American frontier. A journey like that though is fraught with dangers and when a totally unexpected tragedy strikes, Jake is left to pick up the pieces. He cannot believe his family is gone for good and he determinedly sets out in search of a creature of legend in the hope he may be able to rescue his family. Along the way he meets some Indians with unusual pets and discovers a destiny he never thought possible.

Jake is quite a bookish boy but a strong-willed one. He survives what most couldn’t and allows his heart to drive him forward. As a result Jake discovers some things about himself. His openness and willingness not to judge what others do, gives him strength and opportunity. Jake is an underdog who triumphs and brings others along to the victory as well. The melding of Native American tribes with the myth of dragons is a surprisingly good fit – it didn’t feel jarring in any way. This story is very solidly Jake’s and the characters fit well in fleshing it out. It will be interesting to see where Abnett takes this story.

Publisher: Puffin Books

Published: 03 January 2013

Format: Paperback 336 pages

Categories: Fantasy, Dragons, Adventure

ISBN 13: 9780141342962

Purchase: here or use Booktopia link on the side of the page

Category:

Fiction 8-12

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Days of Blood and Starlight

9781444722680By: Laini Taylor

Sequel to Daughter of Smoke and Bone.

Karou is alone in so many ways. She is apart from her friends, she can never be with the man she believed she loved and she is trapped by those who seem to hate her but need her. She has taken over Brimstone’s mantle, she is the Resurrectionist. The Chimera need her for their new type of war. Karou shoulder so much guilt and feels so terribly alone. Then she receives a gift, a friend she thought gone forever is returned to her from the most unexpected source. Zuzanna and Mik also turn up unannounced and totally unexpected bringing some joy and focus into Karou’s existence. Then she discovers just what kind of war she is part of and she knows something needs to change.

Akiva is a broken angel. Convinced he has lost Karou forever he rejoins his brother and sister in their side of the war. He too finds the war is something he does not want to be part of and that things need to change. Akiva finds hope when he thought there was none, when he finds Karou alive, but things between them can never be the same too much has happened. He is determined though, this time to make that first step towards the change to a life the two of them had dreamt about together.

Then he discovers the war isn’t the only problem.

I waited so long to return to this world and Taylor didn’t disappoint. I truly don’t care if it takes as long for the next book to come out. Good things shouldn’t be rushed and this is a good thing. Karou is an awesome character; strong, fragile, determined, flawed. Together these traits paint for us a very real character, she is someone you barack for, someone you are prepared to follow on their journey, someone who’s pain reaches into you. Akiva is just as broken, his vision was pure but has become tainted by his actions. His choices have affected his possibilities. You feel Akiva’s anguish. Yet in no way does he appear weak. Their love story is full of pain, tragedy and you hope there is a future for them but more, you hope there is a future for the characters that surround them. The way Taylor has crafted her characters to fill a very vivid and real world, is amazing. Issa, Zuzana, Mik, Ziri, Hazael and Liraz give our central characters places to feel safe and to bounce off. Zuzana and Mik bring, at times, some light relief that adds welcome texture to the situation. Both the really real and the created worlds are so well detailed, picturing them is no problem, you can feel the heat, taste the desolation. Taylor has crafted a great read. I can’t wait to see where she takes it but I’m okay to wait for that.

Highly recommended.

Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton Ltd

Published: 08 November 2012

Format: Paperback 528 pages

Categories: Fantasy, Angels, Chimera Romance

ISBN 13: 9871444722680 

 

Category:

Young Adult Fiction

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The False Prince

This book was sent to me by the publisher.

9781407133058

By: Jennifer A. Nielsen

Sage is an orphan, one who causes trouble and takes risks. He is one of four boys who get kidnapped. Four boys who look remarkably similar. There is something devious, even dangerous, going on, failure will result in death. The boys embark on an intense round of training, the end result of it being that one of them will be chosen to impersonate the kingdom’s missing prince. This is a perilous time for not only the boys but also the kingdom.

This was a riveting read. Sage is an appealing and cheeky character. He is a troublemaker who refuses to give himself over to the will of the man behind this risky charade. The characters are well written, each very different and they fit well together.  The story is engaging, Sage is a character you can grow attached to, he has a particular code and he sticks to it. He has a strength the other’s don’t and a depth that shines through. The story is very much about the characters, particularly Sage, his choices and reasons, however they fit into a world that feels very real. In future stories I am hoping Neilsen will expand on the world.

Well worth a look. (Recommended for ages 10+)

Publisher: Scholastic

Published: 01 Dec 2012

Format: Paperback 352 pages

Categories: Adventure, Fantasy, Conspiracy

ISBN 13: 9781407133058

Purchase: here or use Booktopia link on the side of the page

Category:

Fiction 8-12

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Crow’s Revenge

9780141339771By: Marcus Alexander

Keeper of the Realms Bk 1

Charlie Keeper is alone, well almost. Her parents have gone, they are missing. She lives with her grandmother who isn’t very well and her estate is managed by the despicable Mr Crow, who she hates.

Then one day something strange happens, she meets an odd little man with green skin. Then someone or something comes after her and she escapes into a whole different world she never knew she existed. In Bellania Charlie is The Keeper. The problem is Charlie has no idea what the Keeper is or what being one even means. It does become increasingly obvious that someone is trying to kill her. Fortunately Charlie doesn’t have to deal with all this new information on her own. She has a bunch of new friends that will do what they have to because Charlie’s fate is directly tied to the fate of Bellania.

This book has potential. Charlie is a feisty character, stubborn, cheeky. The world she stumbles into is layered, complex, there is politics going on that she doesn’t understand. The problem is that there is so much that needs to be established that the pace suffers and when the book comes in at over 400 pages it makes it hard to read. It’s overall tone is quite dark though Charlie herself brings lightness as do some of the friends she picks up along the way (Jensen and Kelko). Also it has dragons and how they fit into the story, at least at this early stage, is interesting.

If you are or know a reader who likes complex worlds and books that take a little more time to sink into then this may be worth a look. For readers 11+.

Publisher: Puffin Books

Published: 02 February 2012

Format: Paperback 448 pages

Categories: Fantasy

ISBN 13: 9780141339771

Purchase: here or use Booktopia link on the side of the page

Category:

Fiction 8-12

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A Corner of White

I received my copy of this from the publisher.
A Corner of WhiteBy : Jaclyn Moriarty

Madeleine Tully lives in Cambridge England, the World. This is a newer life for her and one she is struggling to fit in to. Adapting to this very different lifestyle is complicated by the fact her mother is very sick.

Elliot Baranski lives in Bonfire, the Farms – The Kingdom of Cello. Elliot is a favourite son on Bonfire, hero of the local ball team and popular with the girls, but he is struggling to come to terms with his father’s disappearance. These two people discover a crack between the worlds and start communicating, a very dangerous thing for Elliot to do.

Things in the Kingdom are very different to things in the world, for in the Kingdom seasons roam at will and bells warn of attacks from different colours. Is there any way these two people from very different places can help each other?

This is a lyrical story, gentle and enthralling. Moriarty has presented a world that we know and given it a touch of  the strange in the form of Madeleine’s past life which seems somehow fantastical. She has paired it with the fantastical realm of Cello, which is very unfamiliar but seems incredibly tangible for all that is fantastical about it. Madeleine and Elliot have stories that tug at you, drawing you in and they are all the more engaging because they aren’t perfect. This story has a delicate touch as it weaves it’s spell around you until the last page.

Recommended and I look forward to reading the next one.

Publisher: Pan Australia

Published: 01 October 2012

Format: Paperback 400 pages

Categories: Friendship, Fantasy

ISBN 13: 9781742611396

Purchase: here or use Booktopia link on the side of the page.

Category:

Young Adult Fiction

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Shine Light

I got my copy from the publisher as an ARC.By: Marianne de Pierres

Night Creatures Trilogy Bk 3

Ixion, the land of ever-night, the place of youth and parties. Ixion, feeding zone for Ripers and Night Creatures and a war zone for the rebels led by Dark Eve and Clash.

Naif has to go back. She doesn’t want to, there are so many bad memories. She knows so much more now, she knows the risks. She has to go back for her friends and her brother. There are still secrets on Ixion that she needs to uncover – including finding out if there is a way to cure the effects of the badges worn by everyone and that are slowly killing them.

All of which is complicated by her bond to Lenoir – her greatest love and a mortal enemy – A Riper.

This is the final book in the Night Creatures trilogy.

Naif has come a long way from the quiet, scared, timid Seal from the beginning. She has grown in strength in leaps and bounds. She is becoming a leader, different to her brother and Dark Eve but a leader non the less. She sees beyond, to the big picture and knows changes need to be made, more than Dark Eve and Clash think and more than Lenoir thinks. The story is layered, engaging and has some surprising moments which are always a treat. Naif is a character who grows on you even as she grows. So many females are strong in this and I shouldn’t have to mention that but I still feel compelled to and I guess that is a little sad, but I’m going to mention it because they are and that still makes them a bit of an anomaly.

The cast is colourful and varied with their own strengths and weaknesses, but really this is Naif’s story and the others complement it so well. De Pierres has woven a darkly intriguing story that has gone from strength to strength. This is a fitting conclusion to this trilogy. I loved it and wanted to go with Naif all the way.

Highly Recommended.

Publisher: Random House Australia

Published: 01 November 2012

Format: Paperback 240 pages

Categories: Dark Fantasy,

ISBN 13: 9781742753232

Purchase: use Booktopia link on the side of the page

Category:

Young Adult Fiction

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The Serpent’s Shadow

By: Rick Riordan

Kane Chronicles book 3

The House of Life is in big trouble, bigger trouble than before. Apophis, the god of chaos is starting to rise. He plans to destroy not only the House of Life but the world as we know it. Carter and Sadie Kane, House of Life magicians, walk the path of the gods and this has caused them many problems including a rift within the house itself. The house is divided but they can’t deal with the infighting because they have to do the seemingly impossible – defeat Apophis. They think they know of a spell but it is ancient, untried and very dangerous. If they use it, it could very well cost them their lives. This battle has already cost them so much, but they can’t give up. It is not in their nature.

This is the conclusion to the Kane Chronicles. It is a series that grows on you. It is fast paced and action packed The action though is different to that from the Percy Jackson world because in this one the battle is magic based. Carter and Sadie are great leading characters. The sibling clash of styles and jibing each other brings a level of humour but also makes their relationship relatable and in doing this makes the whole thing more vivid.

Carter has a natural leadership that is tempered by age and doubts. Sadie with her strong nature and cheeky rebellious spirit balances out Carter’s serious streak. Other characters fill out this wonderful story. Walt especially is great, tormented by his curse you really want there to be a get out of jail free card for him. The return of Bes was a pleasure as he is one of my favourite gods. The integration of the gods, the dust and the modern world appears seamless. The other nice touch is the awkwardness of the relationships – Sadie with Walt and Anubis, Carter and Zia, this gives the battle side of the story a good balance that adds a nice slice of humanity.

I really enjoyed this series. It’s style is different to Percy but is still very engaging. A definite must if the reader has an interest in Egyptian mythology.

Highly Recommended.

Publisher: Puffin Books

Published: 01 May 2012

Format: Paperback 416 pages

Categories: Fantasy, Egyptian Mythology, Adventure

ISBN 13: 9780141335698

Purchase: here or use Booktopia link on the side of the page

Category:

Young Adult Fiction

Tagged with:

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