"Poisoned" by Jennifer Donnelly

Poisoned (Oct. 20, 2020) by Jennifer Donnelly.

*This is a standalone novel.*

Once upon a time, Snow White Princess Charlotta-Sidonia Wilhelmina Sophia (Sophie) rode into the Darkwood with her stepmother’s huntsman. His anguish did not stop him from plunging his dagger into Sophie per the queen’s command and stealing the heart of the girl with lips “the color of ripe cherries, her skin as soft as new-fallen snow, her hair as dark as midnight.” But it’s not Queen Adelaide that wants Sophie’s heart, but the King of Crows. Who is he really? Because Corvus certainly isn’t his real name. She may find out if she makes it to the King of Crows’ castle, Nimmermehr. Making it alone may be impossible, not only because of the challenge of navigating the monsters roving near the castle, but because of her mechanical heart. It was crafted by one of the seven brothers, “each barely taller than a rain barrel.” They are the seven men of the woods. Their names are: Johann (scientist), Julius (herbalist), Joosts (carpenter), Jeremias (hunter), Josef (farmer), Jakob (blacksmith) and Schatzi (tailor). There was once an eighth (Jasper). The brothers live with Weber, a nut-brown spider a foot taller than them who cooks, and Tupfen, their housekeeper ladybug.

            Sophie knows the things people say about her: that she’s weak, incompetent and hopeless. That she’ll never make a worthy queen. Good thing she’s in love with Prince Haakon, right? Because he’ll surely be a strong ruler. The thing is, Haakon isn’t looking for her. Instead, Sophie discovers Will (a pauper) and, later, Arno Schmitt (a thief). She also comes across her people of the Greenlands in dire straits, from wounded veterans thrown out of the hospital by the queen to the already destitute being harassed and abused by the queen’s military. Sophie trusts so easily and has been led to believe that kindness is useless. The brothers will encourage otherwise. The girl who ends up with a scar on her chest, bite marks on her arms and the grime of wandering through the forest is not the Sophie of old. She’s someone meant to be queen.

            Do I like a feminist story? You bet, especially when that YA novel is filled with action, self-discovery, empowerment and magic, wrapped around a fairy tale retelling. Donnelly’s retelling is dynamic, but also thoughtful. The Darkwood, like the story, is lush but treacherous, the landscape dotted with familiar legends and horrors better left undisturbed.  That Sophie falls so quickly for Haakon makes me roll my eyes (and I’m not an eye-roller), but I understand that it’s part of her original naiveté. I don’t love that all of the characters appear to defer to Caucasian in this Germanic-ish landscape, but I also wouldn’t love if the author included, like, one token person of color, either. Overall, I enjoyed this fantasy story. It reminds us all that fear, pain and darkness can be overcome, or at least tempered, by courage, hope and love.

"Unravel the Dusk" by Elizabeth Lim

Unravel the Dusk (July 7, 2020) by Elizabeth Lim.

*This is the second novel in a duology.*

*No spoilers beyond what’s contained on the dust jacket.*

Glowing red eyes. Magic that is unbound but so powerful. Losing memories and identity. Maia Tamarin is becoming a demon. The process is slower for her, perhaps, because hers was a voluntary choice, but there’s no doubt that she’ll eventually succumb. She will be Sentur’na (“cutter of fate”). She’s proven she’s the best tailor in A’landi. She’s sewn Amana’s three magical gowns containing the laughter of the sun, the tears of the moon and the blood of stars. But instead of bringing only triumph, those dresses are now both her salvation and her ruin. They are her body, mind and heart and are the source of the power in her demon’s amulet. To destroy them would free her of Bandur, but she would also die.

            It looks apparent that A’landi will fall to the twisted shansen, who’s so dependent on his demon, Gyiu’rak (a tiger demon), that he’s lost his humanity. Even if Emperor Khanujin had the largest army, none of them would stand a chance against Gyiu’rak and the ghosts she can call upon. If Maia can use her demon self as long as she is aware of both parts of herself (the demon and not), should she help save A’landi? Edan won’t want her to, but who else stands a chance against Gyiu’rak? Maia would rather Lady Sarnai and her Lord Xina lead if the emperor is unable, but Sarnai and Xina haven’t been spotted since Maia helped them escape (she also got them caught first, so). She’ll do what she can to protect Baba and Keton (her only living brother) and her friend Ammi (even when she forgets her name). She will fight for them until she loses her humanity … or dies.

            This novel, which wraps up The Blood of Stars duology, is fast-moving and character-driven with two strong female protagonists featured. There is a lot of action, but the YA novel isn’t without emotion. Quite the opposite, as Maia’s internal struggle as she consciously loses her humanity threatens to overwhelm her, while at other times it infuses her with the power to hold onto those she loves. I loved reading this duology with its cast of Asian characters and legends (e.g. the thousand origami paper cranes, the red thread of fate). Both novels in this duology highlight culture beautifully in its prose. The way Lim weaves each strand of the story together makes it a standout. I’m pleased to get this posted as AAPI Month comes to another end.

"Never Miss" by Melissa Koslin

Never Miss (May 4, 2021) by Melissa Koslin.*

How does a former CIA sniper who grew up in a family of assassins gets around? With multiple aliases, obviously. She’s Sarah Jeane Rogers. Or Elizabeth Jeane Jones. Sometimes Mary Jeane Smith. In reality, it’s Kadance Jeane Tolle that saves Lyndon Vaile from a sniper bullet at a storage facility. Lyndon holds three doctoral degrees plus has a master’s in cybersecurity and has been intensively researching Ebolavirus. His incendiary research indicates that Ebola is man-made. Kadance isn’t afraid of the danger that will come with helping Lyndon, but worries more that he’ll be disgusted when he learns that, “Assassination is the family business.” Kadance and Lyndon, oftentimes with Kadance’s Maine Coon, Mac (named for “…Mac computers, mac and cheese, and Mack trucks. Smart, orange, and big.”), dodge shadowy figures and fight them when necessary, while trying to discover who the mastermind is in order to stop a bioattack from becoming waterborne. The clock is ticking in a race they don’t want to lose.

            It’s my understanding that this is Koslin’s debut solo novel, and I enjoyed it. Sure, reading of characters being beautiful and handsome gets a bit old, but I can overlook that. I appreciate how Lyndon’s character has a strong sense of his Christian self as well as his science-minded self. Whereas Kadance has so long believed that, “Religion is just a way to control the masses” and throws at Lyndon that science “refutes the existence of God,” Lyndon tells her, “To make an assumption that God does not exist and did not cause the big bang is unscientific.” (Honestly, I’d like to hear him have a debate with “The Big Bang Theory’s” Dr. Sheldon Cooper! I expect Lyndon would be humbly victorious, and Sheldon’s sore loser reaction would be hilariously epic.)

            Koslin’s debut is action-packed and suspenseful. It seems to my unprofessional mind that Koslin put in the research to create this rollercoaster thrill-ride-of-a-novel, and I would definitely read her next suspense novel. “Never Miss” is strong in detail and persevering in faith (Lyndon).

            Favorite paragraph: “Humans are not perfect. Bad people will use whatever they can to get what they want. Throughout history, people have tried to steal the power of Christianity. It’s a horrible sin, but it’s the sin of those people. If someone stole your car and rammed it into a crowd of people, is that the car’s fault? Is that your fault? No, it’s the driver’s fault.” -- Lyndon replying to Kadance saying, “Christians have done some horrible things in the name of their God.” (p. 198)

            P.S. Mac is my favorite. One of my late great-aunts once had a Maine Coon named Buddy, and he was the best guard cat. I am REALLY glad that he never stuck his claws in my leg, though!

 

* Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Revell Books. 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.”

"At Lighthouse Point" by Suzanne Woods Fisher

At Lighthouse Point (May 4, 2021) by Suzanne Woods Fisher.*

Two years and a fancy culinary school degree later, Blaine Grayson is returning to Three Sisters Island with her Parisian friend, Jean-Paul, in tow. Blaine is excited to enact plans to transform Camp Kicking Moose’s manor kitchen into a fine dining spot, but that excitement is shredded when she discovers that her oldest sister, Cam, and their dad, Paul, have completely remodeled the kitchen. And badly. No fine dining possible in that not-a-commercial kitchen. To heap on the disappointment, her best friend, Artie Lotosky, now a doctor, is giving her nothing but curt words and cold shoulders.

            With happy news from both of her older sisters and the appearance of their little-seen paternal grandfather, Walter Grayson, as a new summer season draws near, life is kicking. But while it may be kicking some into high gear to prepare for newborns or run a camp, Blaine is floundering. Sure, she helps Peg Legg get the Lunch Counter up and looking good again, but the dreams she had set for her return have all popped. Did she make a mistake returning to Maine and Camp Kicking Moose?

            Having read the first two novels in the Three Sisters Island trilogy, I knew I wanted to read this one. The sisters and their squabbles didn’t annoy me as in the previous books, though I still had moments of frustration with Cam and Maddie as if they were my own sisters (and I have zero sisters). I expect it’s because I got to read Blaine’s story and watch her grow from the “kid” her family treats her as to the adult she’s needed to become. This is my total opinion, always, but it is included in a fairly early chapter that Blaine was experiencing very serious emotional trouble when she was in Paris, and I appreciate that the author included that turmoil. Mental health is nothing to sweep under the rug, yet there is still too much stigma toward mental health. And it is hard – so hard – to be outgoing and resilient when there is such inner war. This trilogy-ending novel is lively and charming, certainly, but it’s also gritty and vulnerable. It tells a story of how dreams can adapt and how faith, family and friendship can all grow stronger. Walk with purpose and intention, faith, hope and love!

            Book One: On a Summer Tide

            Book Two: On a Coastal Breeze

 

* Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Revell Books. 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.”

Rutabaga's Reads 2021: Part 4

I wanted this to be a compilation post containing two books, preferably three, but there haven’t been any other companion novels that have caught my eye since this one released almost a year ago. Fortunately, as Riordan is a favorite author of mine, I’m definitely not opposed to featuring this book as a solo.

Camp Jupiter Classified: A Probatio’s Journal (May 5, 2020) by Rick Riordan.

Welcome, new recruits. So you’ve survived your summoning by the wolf goddess, Lupa, by not dying a horrible, wolf-inflicted death during training to become a Roman soldier and have managed to arrive at Camp Jupiter and the Twelfth Legion Fulminata. Well done. You are now tasked to read this probatio’s journal. Claudia is the Fourth Cohort’s newest probatio (“the rank assigned to new members of the legion at Camp Jupiter”), and mysterious incidents start occurring soon after her arrival, such as only oatmeal for breakfast (Claudia’s favorite, but disgusting to the other campers). Or dead rats in the bathhouse. Or the fact that one of the twelve ancile’s is missing (an ancile is “an ornate and cello-shaped shield; one of twelve sacred shields kept in the Temple of Mars”). Is Claudia to blame? After all, Claudia is the great-granddaughter of Mercury, the god of thieves and tricksters (Greek form: Hermes). Read the journal, and Claudia will tell you the story. She’ll even discover who her mother is (hope she’s been paying attention in ID the Deity class).

            Marketed as a companion novel for The Trials of Apollo series, this is a slim volume of delight that only Rick Riordan can dole out. From a vengeful demigod to making ghost friends (Hello, Mamurius Veturius!) to not being attacked by Aurum and Argentum (Praetor Reyna’s metal dogs that will attack if they detect someone lying), it’s nothing new at Camp Jupiter. Just your usual, run-of-the-mill havoc. Even though Claudia doesn’t leave the camp, the story remains adventurous and fast-paced. Look sharp and don’t feed Aurum and Argentum too many jelly beans.