Book Review - The Making of Gabriel Davenport

This is me all cuddled up at night in my blanket.  Night is the most exciting time to read this book, trust me.  Bonus points if there's a storm raging outside.

Star Rating: 5/5
Genre: Suspense, Supernatural Thriller
Buy the book: Amazon

There are lots of magical things about reading books.  A new one I've recently discovered is what it can reveal about ourselves as book buyers.  While reading The Making of Gabriel Davenport, I realized I have a fairly limited scope of book types that I buy and read.  Why?  Because of the way the Amazon recommendation algorithm works?  Because that's what I've always read and kind of fell into a pattern?  Who knows?  This book, though, I can tell is the first to start breaking me out of my pattern.  See, I've I've started buying and reading books from some of my fellow indie authors, focusing less on the genre and just diving in without overthinking it like I usually do or focusing on a specific sub-sub-genre.

Pro-tip for life: support one another, you guys, in whatever it is that you do.  When we support one another, we can all be stronger.

Beverly Lee was running a special on the Kindle version of this, her first book, on Amazon, so I figured I'd go ahead and grab it.

Let's talk about formulas for a second.  In the writing world, they definitely exist.  Whether or not that's a good thing is up for debate, but it is a reality.  I have read numerous writing advice articles that specifically say something along the lines of, "Start your book off with a bang!  If your beginning doesn't have some kind of action, move an action-y bit to the beginning to create a teaser and then proceed with your slower start."  I've seen this done, and I don't dislike it.  It's not a bad method.  What I do dislike is anyone saying there's only one way to do something well.  That's when things become boring and formulaic.

I cannot tell you how much I appreciate that Beverly Lee didn't do this.  Don't get me wrong, there are some delicious teases in the beginning, whispers of intrigue that made me go, "Whaaaaat is it?  Something...something bad is gonna happen."  It's a subtle hook that catches you without you realizing it.  Rather, she takes times to craft and establish her characters and, more than that, makes them sympathetic.  I found myself getting attached to each character very organically.  Little gestures between the characters tell tales about their relationship without, you know, outright telling you those little tales.  And this is so, so good because later on ***CENSORED FOR SPOILERS!!!***  Oopsie.  Guess you don't get to know unless you read the book. 0:-)

This book did that amazing, addict-making thing where I was slipping in reads between when I was supposed to be doing silly things like chores and responsibilities.  I needed to know what happened next.  Let me just say, there's more than moment where my eyes got real big and I just thought, "Oh, dang...this crap just got real." o.0

The second one is coming out soon, you guys, and available for preorder now.  I'm so excited because, once again, I need to know what happens!  Eek!!!  I fully recommend this one, folks.  No matter what your preferred genre is, this is a great one!

Book Review - Water: Tales of Elemental Spirits

Water: Tales of Elemental Spirits by Robin McKinley and Peter Dickinson

Star Rating: 4/5
Number of pages: 304
Release date: October 21, 2004
Series: n/a
Genre: Fantasy, Teen
Buy the book: Amazon

Synopsis: This is a collection of short stories written by Robin McKinley and Peter Dickinson.  Each one centers around water in some way, though not in all the ways one might expect.  There are mer-people and deserts and magic and deities.  Each tale is unique and stands alone, save for the very last one, which seems to be a shoot-off of Robin McKinley’s The Hero and the Crown.

Review: This was the first time I’ve ever really read a short story collection, so it was a new and interesting experience for me.  As I mentioned in the description, each story is unique and (from what I can tell) takes place in an entirely different universe from the last.  Going through each story was a little bit of a roller coaster, because one would leave me feeling really satisfied, and the next I wasn’t so happy with, but then I loved the one after that!  Whew!  I need to lie down.  And there’s a really cool but simple artistic thing done at the beginning of each tale that I thought was a neat detail.

This was just a lovely, quick way of indicating to the reader which author—Robin McKinley or Peter Dickinson—had penned the story that followed.  Overall, the writing was beautiful.  Both writing styles are very similar.  I don’t know if that was intentional or not, but it did add a nice flow to the book on the whole.  And I am absolutely in love with Robin McKinley’s writing.  She’s been my favorite author for a long time now.  Specifically, I didn’t care for Sea Serpent.  I didn’t like the main god-priest character very much, and I liked the fact that he won in the end even less.  On the flip side of that, I really liked The Sea-King’s Son.  If you’re looking for a straight-up fairytale love story, that’s your ticket.  I appreciated that the protagonists’ relationship develops without physical contact for a long time and just focused on talking and sharing and getting to know one another first.  They’re both very different, but they admire their differences and love one another for the people they are.  Seriously, such a good love story.  As much as I liked The Sea-King’s Son, I absolutely adored The Water Horse!  If you liked Uprooted by Naomi Novik (which is another fantastic book you should definitely read), allow me to unabashedly pull you towards McKinley's The Water Horse and place it in your hands. It's beautiful and sweet, and there's a strong thread of self-empowerment and community running through it.

I really enjoyed the experience of reading through this entire book, though. Each story is really different, and they're all incredibly well done. Now go read The Water Horse and Uprooted. :-)

Recommend?:  Definitely!  It’s a really different and interesting experience to read a collection of short stories instead of one big one, and I think this one was really enjoyable.

Book Review - The Lightning Thief

This is me at 3:14am, having just finished reading.

The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

Star Rating: 5/5
Number of pages: 416
Release date: March 21, 2006
Series: Percy Jackson and the Olympians
Genre: Fantasy, Children’s
Buy the book: Amazon

Synopsis: (from Amazon) Percy Jackson is a good kid, but he can’t seem to focus on his schoolwork or control his temper. And lately, being away at boarding school is only getting worse-Percy could have sworn his pre-algebra teacher turned into a monster and tried to kill him. When Percy’s mom finds out, she knows it’s time that he knew the truth about where he came from, and that he go to the one place he’ll be safe. She sends Percy to Camp Half Blood, a summer camp for demigods (on Long Island), where he learns that the father he never knew is Poseidon, God of the Sea. Soon a mystery unfolds and together with his friends – one a satyr and the other the demigod daughter of Athena – Percy sets out on a quest across the United States to reach the gates of the Underworld (located in a recording studio in Hollywood) and prevent a catastrophic war between the gods.

Review: Let me begin by saying I borrowed this book from my nephew one random afternoon and was up until 3:14am the following morning because I couldn’t put it down. I’m pretty impressed that I’ve been able to go so long without actually knowing more about what happens in this book, as they’ve been huge for years, even back when I worked full-time in a bookshop. I never saw the movie, though I’d like to now (even though I’ve not heard great things about the adaptation). All I knew going in was that Percy Jackson was the son of a Greek god.

The pacing of the book was excellent, and there were lots of things along the way that snatched at my interest. For instance, in the very beginning when Percy kills the creepy teacher-creature trying to kill him, and then when nothing more is said about it for the rest of the school year, I was really curious. And then we’re taken on this crazy ride through the night, and then we get a little rest. And then a quest begins, all with little dollops of curious-making information dropped in throughout. For instance, it’s mentioned in passing that Annabeth’s mother, Athena (the Athena, NBD), gave Annabeth the hat that can turn her invisible.

Me, leaning in: “Go on…”

And that’s all we learn! How did that meeting go, I wonder. So many little moments in this book spark your imagination, stretching it beyond the current happenings in the book, which is pure book magic! I also appreciate this book because it gives a very real-world view of life without getting too dark. Domestic abuse is strongly hinted at without children (to whom the series is aimed) having to see it. I like that balance. And there are a lot more little moments like that in the book–bribery, neglect, unfair competition. This book doesn’t hide those unfortunate truths, but it also doesn’t glorify them or make them super graphic. And, on top of all that, it’s just really entertaining. The only thing I found slightly disappointing was that there is a mention of impending betrayal, and I totally called the betrayer. Like, there was a line that was something to the effect of, <insert creepy voice here> “And someone will betray yooooou…”, and I was like, “That guy. It’s totally gonna be that guy.” And it was. I don’t know if we were meant to figure it out that fast or if I did because I’m an adult and the series is aimed at kids or just what, so that wasn’t a very good twist for me. That’s really my only complaint, though, and that’s not really a big deal. So, all in all, really great!

Recommend?: Well, I’m planning on buying the whole series, so what do you think? :p

Book Review - The Legend of Holly Claus

The Legend of Holly Claus by Brittney Ryan
Star Rating: 5/5
TL;DR: This book is a perfect example of what it’s supposed to be – a Christmas fairytale
Number of pages: 544
Release date: October 1, 2004
Series: n/a
Genre: Fantasy, Holiday, Children’s
Buy the book: Amazon
Tagline: “Love conquers time.”
Other notes: Illustrations by Laurel Long

Synopsis: Santa Claus is the king of Forever, land of the immortals.  When a little boy writes to Santa asking what no one else has ever asked—what he wants for Christmas—a miracle occurs: Santa and his wife are blessed with a daughter, Holly.  It is the first time a child has ever been born in Forever.  An evil wizard called Herrikhan has plans for baby Holly, however, and curses both her and the land of the immortals.  Holly’s heart is turned to ice, which preserves her compassion and innocence but also puts her at risk if she grows too warm and her heart melts.  Meanwhile, everyone who has come to celebrate the birth of the new princess is now trapped in Forever and will remain so until the curse is broken.

This book takes us through Holly’s journey of growing up in this magical land but isolated from her people and feeling unworthy of her place in Forever.  When Holly is seventeen, she embarks on a journey to the Empire City to earn her immortality and break the curse.  There, along with her magical animal friends, Holly discovers her path and more.

Review: Firstly, there are many a book reviewer who would rate this book poorly for reasons I will discuss further down.  Excepting technical aspects like spelling and grammar (I know this should be a given, but I live in both the self-published and traditionally published world), I tend to judge books based on what they’re meant to be, not an across-the-board system.  I’m not going to judge The Legend of Holly Claus by all the same standards as Clive Barker’s Abarat series, even though there are a good many similarities.  Abarat is not meant to be a fluffy, holiday tale of love and joy, whereas The Legend of Holly Claus most definitely is.  Right that said, here’s what I liked about it.

The Legend of Holly Claus is perfection when it comes to happy holiday stories. <--I don’t use the P-word lightly about entertainment.  I bought this book about ten years ago and have read it almost every year at Christmas since.  I know that 544 page count might seem intimidating, but the print is a good bit larger than your average novel, plus there are illustrations (more on that later) scattered throughout, so it’s actually a pretty quick read as novels go.  I try to read this book every year for the same reasons I watch A Muppet Christmas Carol and Elf every year, because it makes me happy and all warm and fuzzy inside and want to push my enthusiasm on others.  I sent this to a group text I have with the bestie and another of our close friends because this part always makes me laugh.

There are loads more bits just like that too, parts that make my smile no matter how many times I read this book.  And it makes me cry too, which I hate.  For those of you not in the know, I really dislike crying.  Or rather, I dislike what comes with crying.  I know crying is healthy because it’s cathartic, but I want my catharsis to be efficient, so please don’t try and comfort me unless I reach out first, in which case I need a proper cuddle.  So get ready to feel things with this book.

I also really love the characterizations in this book.  Holly is meant to be the most compassionate being in the universe.  The book itself says, “Nicholas and Viviana, immortal beings, you are in the presence of the purest and most compassionate heart that has ever been born,” and that is portrayed so well on every page.  But I think people sometimes think compassion and purity are isolated from anger, and I don’t agree with that at all.  Civil injustices make us angry, and that is compassion.  Holly’s character gets angry at cruelty, indignant at the idea that children can go hungry and people do nothing to immediately stop it, and I think that’s such a good move by Brittney Ryan.  Holly isn’t portrayed as some insipid good-two shoes.  She teases, she defies her parents to do what she thinks is right, and I think that’s so important to the story because she is relatable.

Other than her, the characters are painted with such diverse personalities.  There’s vivacious Lexi, a fox with more personality and opinions than she knows what to do with, and bumbling Euphemia, an owl who just wants to do well but seems to always get it wrong.  Nicholas Claus (Santa) is crafted so richly as a devoted but overprotective father, but who can blame him?  He’s just trying to keep his only child from harm.  Of all the characters, however, Tundra is my absolute favorite.  He’s a wolf, so dignified with a fantastically dry wit.  And he loves Holly so dearly, but he is protective of her in a completely different way than Nicholas.  He’ll make every effort to preserve Holly’s happiness as he stands ready to defend her.

This story also takes a really good look at what it’s like to have a disability.  Holly can’t go outside in warm weather because it will actually kill her.  Her heart will melt, and she will die.  She has to take precautions inside her own home (no fires, no warm breezes from the outside, no blankets) for the same reason.  She has a conversation with a sick little girl, and they understand one another because the little girl has to stay warm to get better.  And it’s not handled with kid gloves.  It’s right out there: this is a thing that happens in the world.  Different people have different needs.  As this is a children’s book, I think that’s such a great way to open up that conversation with children.  “That little girl doesn’t have any hair because the medicine she needs makes it fall out.  That little boy is in a wheelchair because some people need them to get around.”  As someone who once had tube hanging out of her chest as a child, I appreciate this.

And can we talk about these illustrations?  They are gorgeous!  I personally love pen and ink drawings, so these are right up my street.  And Laurel Long does such a lovely job with each one, providing an ambiance to the scene each one is depicting.  These are my two favorite:

So what about things I didn’t like?  There’s not much to be honest.  The villain, Herrikhan, might be a little too cookie-cutter.  He is very much like a lot of villains I’ve seen in the past, but then you have to remember that this is a book meant for children.  Even so, children need three-dimensional characters as well, and Herrikhan is just plain evil.  Nothing else.  In addition to that, there is a part with talking dolls, and I found that massively creepy.  If I ever hear a doll start talking, that thing is going to the bottom of a lake ASAP!  I also wish the appendix in the back of the book that lists all the Immortals mentioned would provide us with more information about the person.  We get a short one or two sentence synopsis and that’s it.  The good definitely outweighs the bad here, though.

Recommend?:  Abso-freakin-lutely!  This book should be right up there with the top Christmas entertainments.