Hi there! I’m Kay: an opinionated book blogger enamoured with the world of novels. Reader of Speculative Fiction (the posh word for Sci-Fi/Fantasy) and Young Adult novels. Believer in the many uses of the towel, the science of deduction and other fandom in-jokes.
This blog has been closed since early 2016. To the publishers and writers: thanks for all the support over the years. To my readers and fellow bloggers: keep in touch!
Recent Reviews
In My Mailbox (October 3rd, 2010)
In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren (inspired by Alea of Pop Culture Junkie) and explores the content of your mailbox. I got a couple of lovely things this week – not many, but lovely none the less.
I won a bunch of Firelight and other PNR/UF goodies from Anna (over at Anna’s Book Blog). Ooh, and a copy of Torment by Lauren Kate, I liked Fallen ok but am curious to see if Torment is better.
I also bought a copy of Claire de Lune by Christine Johnson – Christine will be here on Thursday with a guest post as part of her Claire in the UK blog tour. She also sent me a few lovely Claire bookmarks and signed bookplates:
I will be giving away some of the signed goodies this week – it’s not fair for me to hog them all! So check back later to read Christine’s guest post and sign up for the giveaway!
Cover Alert! New 2011 YA Cover Art
Here are a few new book covers that you may or may not have seen about the blogosphere – loads seem to have just come out, but these are the ones I have been waiting for! Some aren’t that fantastic – actually, I’d say most are a bit bland – but what do y’all think?
When does a series jump the shark? [BTT]
I read a lot of different series and – as a general rule – love doing so. When you find a character you love and a setting that you want to live in, it is easy to want the good times to go on! But sometimes I do worry that a series will jump the shark. And when it does, I tell myself it is ok to let go. I will read on if I truly loved the first books, but I try not to let the new books affect the way I think about the characters I love.
There are a lot of examples out there of series-gone-bad. In UF, the most common example is Laurrell K Hamilton’s Anita Blake books. I am only 4 books into that series – supposedly the pre-shark jumping phase – and love it. But I have no idea how I will feel when basically Anita turns her home into a brothel, and shall have to read before I judge. Nevertheless, I completely understand why fans were rather horrified – it is quite the change from the horror and action of the first books!
In YA, Twilight is example of good-gone-very-bad. Honestly, even though I enjoyed Breaking Dawn, it was such a change from the first books that I struggled to accept it. When I think of Twilight, I try only to remember the teenage swoon-worthy romance of the first book – and perhaps the heartbreak of the second book – and leave the rest. While I wouldn’t say Meyer “jumped the shark”, she certainly got in the water with it.
But for me, the most unfortunate case of good-going-very-bad was the Study series by Maria V. Snyder. I adored the first book, loved the second – but had to force myself to finish the third. Epic disappointment. The characters were self-centred shadows of their former selves, and my only consolation was that at least the series was ending. It was actually very sad.
Other than those, most of the series I am following have stayed on track. Although sometimes I can read the first in a series – love it – and then hate the rest of the books. Karen Chance’s Cassandra Palmer series is one I won’t be continuing – after the sour taste that the second book left in my mouth. Vicki Pettersson’s second book in the Sign of the Zodiac Series was also a supreme disappointment, and while I haven’t gotten rid of the rest of the series yet, I am hesitant to pick up book three.
Perhaps series do better when there is only a set number of books? In other words, when the author has a contained plan where the end is known right from the beginning. My favourite series, Harry Potter and the Darkest Powers Trilogy, seem to be prime examples of that!
Jump the shark? To those of you wondering where this peculiarly phrase came from, watch this highly informative video featuring The Fonz!
Review – The Devil’s Kiss by Sarwat Chadda
The Devil’s Kiss by Sarwat Chadda
Bookdepository / Amazon UK / Amazon US
Librarything / Goodreads
Genre: Paranormal Young Adult
Rating: 3.5 stars
Pages: 272
First Line: Killing him should be easy; he’s only six.
Summary: As the youngest and only female member of the Knights Templar, Bilquis SanGreal grew up knowing she wasn’t normal. Instead of hanging out at the mall or going on dates, she spends her time training as a soldier in her order’s ancient battle against the Unholy.
Billi’s cloistered life is blasted apart when her childhood friend, Kay, returns from Jerusalem, gorgeous and with a dangerous chip on his shoulder. He’s ready to reclaim his place in Billi’s life, but she’s met someone new: amber-eyed Michael, who seems to understand her like no one else, effortlessly claiming a stake in her heart.
But the Templars are called to duty before Billi can enjoy the pleasant new twist to her life. One of the order’s ancient enemies has resurfaced, searching for a treasure that the Templars have protected for hundreds of years — a cursed mirror powerful enough to kill all of London’s firstborn. To save her city from catastrophe, Billi will have to put her heart aside and make sacrifices greater than any of the Templars could have imagined.
Review: Sarwat’s book hasn’t gotten too much press outside the UK. I have no friggin’ idea why though, because it is awesome. This was, seriously, some fantastic YA urban fantasy that I think would easily appeal to adults. Sure, Billi is only 15 – but she has had to grow up really fast and it has made her more mature than some of the adult characters I read! (*cough* Faythe *cough*)
Billi is fighting the good-fight against the demonic forces – and it comes with casualties. There are angels, vampires, wolf-men and evil-spirits – it’s like a seriously compact episode of Supernatural. It is fantastic to read – and has a few OMG! twists that you will never see coming.
There’s a whole lot of biblical action – in fact, there is a whole lot of biblical references too. But what Sarwat does, which I found unusual in this new age of angelic!YA – was to include a lot of Muslim and Jewish myths and beliefs. Billi is also half-Indian, half-white – giving her a unique perspective on her role in the Templars.
Billi’s “ethnic” background was just one of the many things that made this book so very “London-y”. Sarwat Chadda recreates the city to a T – its multi-ethnic population just one of many things he got right! If you haven’t been to London, you will visit it when you read The Devil’s Kiss – and those of you who have, you’ll love his references to tube lines, misty weather and dodgy characters!
So, while I thought the verse and setting were great, I did have some trouble connecting with major secondary characters. Billi was great – by the end of the book I really felt like I understood her. But her friends and family that she felt so strongly about? Well, they just didn’t do it for me. It lessened the impact of some of the big scenes, and unfortunately made me bring this book down a star.
I have great hopes for the next book, The Dark Goddess, and can’t wait to start it!
Bottom line? Kick-ass YA Urban Fantasy that will appeal to both adults and teens. The Devil’s Kiss will keep you on your toes, wondering what the next page will bring!
Waiting on Wednesday: Blood Magic by Tessa Gratton
“Waiting On” Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted over at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that are being eagerly anticipated.
Blood Magic by Tessa Gratton
Goodreads – April 26th, 2011For Nick Pardee and Silla Kennicot, the cemetery is the center of everything.
Nick is a city boy angry at being forced to move back to the nowhere town of Yaleylah, Missouri where he grew up. He can’t help remembering his mom and the blood magic she practiced – memories he’s tried for five years to escape. Silla, though, doesn’t want to forget; her parents’ apparent murder-suicide left her numb and needing answers. When a book of magic spells in her dad’s handwriting appears on her doorstep, she sees her chance to unravel the mystery of their deaths.
Together they plunge into the world of dark magic, but when a hundred-year-old blood witch comes hunting for the bones of Silla’s parents and the spell book, Nick and Silla will have to let go of everything they believe about who they are, the nature of life and death, and the deadly secrets that hide in blood.
I think everyone and their mother has posted this as their WoW post – but the cover has finally come out and has given us all a chance to squee. So here I am, SQUEEING!
Can we have a show of hands, those of us who think 2011 is going to be fantastic?