"A Talent for Trouble" by Jen Turano

A Talent for Trouble (Oct. 1, 2013) by Jen Turano.*

In New York City in 1881, Miss Felicia Murdock is apparently not on the same page as God when it comes to a choice of husband. Preparing herself to be a minister’s wife may have garnered her high praise from the local congregants, but it didn’t garner her a ministerial husband. Felicia isn’t naturally so demure as her outward actions and personality seem to suggest, though she truly does have a kind heart. She decides to make changes in her life, one of the most noticeable changes centering around her wardrobe (all for the better!). It’s like she’s a whole new person now! She might even go so far as to dress like a man, complete with trousers and a mustachioed upper lip! Does that sound like a demure character to you?

            Felicia’s wardrobe transformation – like an 1881 version of What Not to Wear – doesn’t go unnoticed by Grayson Sumner, formerly Lord Sefton and still Lord Sefton when he feels the situation warrants it. Grayson has a past that he is not proud of; therefore, it wouldn’t be in Felicia’s best interests to be pursued by him. After all, she is all kindness and modesty and proper etiquette. Right? Surely she would never do anything to garner attention of the raised-eyebrow sort. Besides, Grayson has his hands full trying to exude fatherliness to three-year-old Ming. Lately she’s resorted to tantrums and biting, and he has no idea how to handle it.

            As if figuring out parenting isn’t enough, Grayson’s past has caught up to his present. Anyone associated with him could be in grave danger. He doesn’t want any harm to come to Felicia. It’s already said that Felicia has a talent for trouble, but Grayson’s past is dangerously troublesome.

            I love to read of strong female characters. That doesn’t mean they’re superheroes. They can be as demure-seeming as Felicia. She may reside in the latter 1800s and she knows of propriety, but she also knows she has a voice and strength. Her character utilizes this knowledge through bravery and kindness. She doesn’t look down upon the downtrodden. Grayson may have a difficult past, but he’s got an adventurous spirit, and the two are well-suited. Both are whip-smart and quick-tongued at times; they go together like thunder and lightning. Turano creates a landscape that is cleverly written and well-balanced. There is high society and the slums, love and anger, happiness and sadness, faithfulness and a lack of, and an element of danger. Don’t ignore Turano’s books if you enjoy Christian historical fiction!

            Also by Jen Turano: A Most Peculiar Circumstance

* Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Bethany House Publishers. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions are expressly my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

"The House of Hades" by Rick Riordan

There are many, many books that I’ve looked forward to reading this year, but none so much as this one. For this reason, it gets its own standalone post! For other posts containing books by Rick Riordan, click here and here and here and here. Smiley face! :-)

WARNING: If you have not read The Heroes of Olympus series, there may be spoilers.

The House of Hades (Oct. 8, 2013) by Rick Riordan.

Things are not going well. Not that they ever do for a demigod, but things are extra bad right now. Those flying aboard the Argo II can’t catch a break. From mountain gods hurling mountain boulders to a carnivorous sea turtle, life is definitely not smooth-sailing. Cupid makes an appearance, but this Roman god of love is no St. Valentine’s guy with wings shooting cute love arrows. Hazel Levesque is at a crossroads. All the ways look bleak. She can take the statue to Camp Half-Blood and hopefully stop Camp Jupiter from attacking or she can continue to Epirus and the House of Hades to close the Doors of Death from the mortal side and battle someone she will lose to unless she learns to control Mist.

            Leo Valdez is a mechanical whiz, but it’ll be a challenge finding a way to fight anti-fire with fire. Frank Zhang is busy feeling like the LVP – Least Valuable Player – and is determined to be worthy of the quest they’re all on. Jason Grace is on the fence. Now that he’s spent time in both camps, is he more Roman or Greek? He’ll have to decide at some point; lives will depend on it. Piper McLean may disagree with Frank’s idea that he’s the LVP, as she struggles with her own level of worthiness. She’ll have to prove to herself that she’s as adept as her comrades, lest they find themselves permanently stuck in a cold situation. After all, blueberry muffins shot out of a magic cornucopia can only distract for so long! Nico di Angelo has a secret that’s been eating away at him and has caused him no end of bitterness, hurt and even hatred. Cupid is surely not on his list of favorite gods.

            Can things get any worse for Percy Jackson and Annabeth Chase? Even death might be a step up from their current location. They’re in Tartarus. They’re exhausting themselves trying to survive and reach the Doors of Death, as they must be closed so that the monsters can’t keep returning to the surface by way of elevator music. Percy’s friend, Bob, comes to their aid, but Percy hasn’t been the friend he should’ve been, and that may cost him much-needed help. Annabeth is grappling with the difficulty of forming strategic plans in a place so dangerous and desolate. How do you fight a being? Tartarus isn’t just a place; he’s the essence of the abyss and husband to Gaea, the Earth Mother. How do you fight the earth, the ground that you walk on, live on, sleep on?

            I had high expectations for this book, and I was not disappointed. Riordan writes with his signature sarcasm and wit. Riordan’s mythology-based books are full of action and adventure, and I love that. “The House of Hades” is busy and intense, not in a scare-your-pants-off way, but in a high-octane, full-throttle, action-and-adventure-to-the-max way.  It is a great read for so many reasons. A few: (1) It is entertaining literature for both guys and gals; (2) You can brush up on your mythology knowledge, learn it yourself or use it as a teaching tool in the classroom; (3) It is just an overall riveting read. Give Riordan’s books a try if you haven’t already! Oh, and do be careful of the ground you walk on. Gaea is stirring …

"Antigoddess" by Kendare Blake

Antigoddess (Sept. 10, 2013) by Kendare Blake.

The thing we grow up hearing about mythology – whether it’s Greek or Egyptian or Norse (and on and on) – is that gods are immortal. As in, undying and everlasting. Right? But what about a present time when the [Greek] gods are dying? Persephone’s already passed on. Understandable, as she was already half-dead as queen of the underworld. Her mother, the goddess of the harvest (or agriculture), is not yet dead, but she’s stretched thin, as she’s “used as the earth is used.” Athena, ever the goddess of wisdom and strategy (highly useful in battle situations), isn’t about to die lying down. She’s trying to stop this twilight of the gods. It’s mostly selfish, though, because who wants to fight feathers? The messenger god Hermes is with her. Known for thievery and not for courage, he’s a flight risk, though not literally a flight risk right now since he doesn’t have the strength to fly. Winged sandals aren’t going to help him now!

            Cassandra Weaver is an ordinary high school student. Well, sort of ordinary. She wins at coin tosses every time and sometimes has visions of the future. Her boyfriend, Aidan Baxter, loves this about her, and she totally loves him. And what’s not to love? Aidan is fun-loving, reassuring, gorgeous and wholly dedicated to Cassandra. But Cassandra has a past she doesn’t remember. In that past, she was a great prophetess, but back then, her ability was far more a curse than a gift. Cassandra doesn’t realize this, even though she’s been “seeing” bloody and violent things lately. Aidan is there to comfort her, and her best friend, Andie Legendre, and brother, Henry, are nearby, too. What is the meaning of her visions? Why are they happening now? What does it all mean?

            Anyone who keeps one type of image in mind regarding Greek mythology better avoid this book. Just forewarning you. While weak, the gods still have power, but the virgin goddess depicted in a toga is far from the punk Athena in this young adult novel. There are so many questions, as this is the first in a new series, but this kick-off book is very well-imagined. The humor is often wry, which only makes the book more enjoyable to read: “It was rude to stomp your aunt, no matter how dire the situation.” “Antigoddess” is a thrilling adventure of mythology, love, gore and the process of dying. It’s also about discovering one’s true self, though Cassandra’s case is far more unusual than ours would be, as hers is of a supernatural sort. It’s not a depressing book (well, maybe a little); it has suspense and prowess, good and bad. Oh, and Greek tragedy, of course! (For those concerned, there are also scattered expletives.)

            As someone who read this book and is also a fan of Rick Riordan’s mythology-based  books (e.g. Percy Jackson), I want to note how different they are. And rightly so. First off, Riordan’s novels, while enjoyed by a wide age-range, are still considered middle grade. Blake’s “Antigoddess” is young adult with a touch of horror. Riordan’s books are far more kid-friendly than Blake’s. Both authors write great books, but please don’t insult them by trying to compare them. They are different authors with different target age groups. Appreciate their interpretations. After all, even the “historical” mythologies you can research out there have differing interpretations. So why not present-day authors?

            Also by Kendare Blake: Anna Dressed in Blood and Girl of Nightmares

AUTHOR EVENT: RICK RIORDAN

I’m a very happy camper, and just to be fair, let’s presume that I am a camper at both Camp Half-Blood and Camp Jupiter. That said, let’s also presume that I can be in two places at once, which of course I really can’t be, but it’s all in the matter of fairness.

            A great big thank-you goes out to my soon-to-be sister-in-law, Katie, for attending the event with me and driving us. We found ourselves at the St. Louis County Library right before suppertime. As neither of us had attended an author event before, we really didn’t know what to expect. Surely you know this already if you’ve attended a RICK RIORDAN author event, but if you haven’t before, here’s what to expect …

            Expect AWESOME! Rick Riordan was a spectacular public speaker – must’ve been his years as a schoolteacher! – and was hilarious to boot. I laughed a lot. My event photo is sort of blurry; obviously I don’t have the best camera ever. Ah, well, you get the picture. (Yes. Pun intended!)

Rick Riordan arrives on-stage!

This shirt is a spoil of war.*

* Disclaimer: This wasn't actually a spoil of war, though I still consider obtaining one to be a victory. Additionally, no demigods, real or imagined, were harmed in the process of obtaining this shirt.

"The Chaos of Stars" by Kiersten White

The Chaos of Stars (Sept. 10, 2013) by Kiersten White.

Parents that expect you to obey them? Pretty common. Parents that expect you to worship them? Not so much. But for Isadora, praying to her parents is expected even though she disapproves of it. Her parents are Isis and Osiris, the Egyptian goddess of motherhood and magic and the god of the afterlife, respectively. It sounds cool and impressive, but Isadora is so over them. Her dad acts like he doesn’t care about her, and her mom seems to just want her around as a worshipper. Do they even remember her name? Because her brother, Horus (god of war and protection), and her half-brother, Anubis (god of funerals and embalming), never do.  She is mortal and seemingly insignificant because of that.

            Isis portends that bad things will happen. Dreams of darkness and danger. So she sends Isadora to her mortal brother, Sirus, in San Diego. This is exactly what she wants, to be far away from her parents. And, bonus, Sirus actually remembers her name, though it helps, I suppose, that he’s her closest-in-age sibling. So Isadora goes to San Diego without telling her mother what she’s actually been dreaming. It isn’t all sunshine and purple hippos, after all. Fortunately, she’ll make a few friends, which is a few more than she had living in Egypt. There’s Ry (who, oh no, is full-blooded Greek), Tyler (a she, by-the-way) and Scott (Tyler’s boyfriend). She has fun with them, but it can’t mask the darkness coming that she can’t explain, nor can it explain the break-ins. Oh, floods, what is going on?

            “The Chaos of Stars” is an entertaining gem of a book. It also has a lovely cover. Kiersten White writes with the sarcasm and humor I’ve come to associate with her books. Isadora is an inherently selfish character, which is easy to blame on her parentage -- two godly parents and all. It’s also too easy to blow off a selfish character as therefore annoying and abhorrent and shallow, but as you read, you understand why she feels like she does. Her parents don’t seem to deem her existence important; she feels unimportant in their eyes. In other words, despite living with them, she feels a sense of loneliness and abandonment. Abandonment by the ones who should love her most. Isadora has a lot to learn, and this young adult novel is a fast ride with ups, downs, twists and betrayals. There’s also friendship, laughter and a budding romance. Ooh, and danger, too, but not intense danger.

            Putting thousands of miles between herself and her parents will show Isadora that family isn’t black and white. Only love or only disdain. One right way or one wrong way. She should know that with the Egyptian history (mythology) her parents have, but she doesn’t. Or doesn’t want to. Family is forever, even during the times we don’t want to claim them!

            By Kiersten White: Paranormalcy, Supernaturally, and Endlessly

            Also by Kiersten White: Mind Games

UNOFFICIAL CRITERIA

I plan to continue with my compilation theme, but I’ve decided it might be nice to post one-book reviews more often than I have. How will I choose which ones will be standalone reviews? My personal, unofficial criteria will be based on one or multiple criteria.

[1] The book is by a favorite author.

[2] The book is in a trilogy/series I really enjoy.

[3] I’ve been waiting FOREVER (or a year-ish) to read the book!

[4] I received a free copy of the book from the publisher.

[5] I just feel like it!