Rutabaga's Reads 2019: Part 1

While I was slightly better in 2018 in keeping up with my blog, it remains apparent that I haven’t focused enough on YA novels, which is the age category that I read the most. I aim to do better this year.

            While I did do a post late last month showcasing a YA duology, this is my first YA compilation of 2019 featuring titles that are parts of sequential series in which I’m already a fan. No new-to-me authors in this batch.

Assassin of Truths (Feb. 6, 2018) by Brenda Drake.

*This is the final book in a trilogy.*

Somewhere along the way, Gia Kearns became Gianna Bianchi McCabe, Sentinel. Her childhood friend has been abducted, and she’s seen loved ones die. She needs to protect the one who can defeat the Tetrad, but before that can happen, she needs to retrieve seven Chiavi (Chiave, singular) hidden in the great libraries of the world. To a reader, gateway access to all of the world’s libraries sounds like a dream, but the gateways harbor astonishing dangers. And danger always seems to find Gia. Furthermore, there is a disease spreading. Nana Kearns is developing a cure. The corrupted Wizard Council doesn’t want the cure given to those in the Mystik world, but many wizards and Sentinels in the havens have banded together to save the Mystiks. This includes Gia and her wizard-betrothed Bastien Renard, but does not include former love interest Arik Baine. They traverse many places through tunnels and realms, gateways and libraries, including Tír na nÓg (the faery realm), before facing off against an evil Master Wizard.

            I have really enjoyed this entire trilogy. This urban fantasy has been chock full of magic, wizards and Sentinels with mystical abilities (I want a battle globe). It contains good and bad, light times and sadness, fights for life and fights to the death. Drake strengthened the plot with heroic characters, probably all of them good-looking (even the non-human ones), but with characteristics we related to or rooted for. Also, libraries! And traveling to libraries through gateway books!

            Now, where is my Sentinel gear?

                        Book One: Thief of Lies

                        Book Two: Guardian of Secrets

Just Dreaming (May 2, 2017) by Kerstin Gier.

*This is the final book in a trilogy.*

Nobody is safe, not even in dreams, but who would go into someone’s dream to manipulate that person? And how would someone obtain such a disturbing ability, much less put it in motion three times? Is it Anabel Scott, in whom there’s no secret that she has psychological issues? Or is it Arthur Hamilton, ex-friend of Henry Harper and Grayson Spencer, who probably also has psychological issues? It looks like it’ll be up to Liv Silver to uncover clues, solve the mysteries and battle bad guys. Henry and Grayson will help, though Grayson takes some convincing, and Jasper Grant has apparently done away with all of the dream nonsense. Romance is stressing Liv out, a gossipmonger-of-a-blogger continues to spread tittle-tattle while remaining unidentified, her mother’s planning a wedding and at least one wicked classmate is set on revenge. It’s too bad that Liv can’t escape in slumber, because malicious intent may lurk there as well …

            Overall, I enjoyed this story. The ending was conclusive and satisfying; before the very end, Secrecy is identified. I wish I could go off and explore dream corridors as several of these characters have done through The Silver Trilogy, but without the threat of imagined demons or deluges of strange feathers or crossing paths with a nemesis or people I simply don’t care for. The one grievance I have with the story regards Liv Silver’s possible “first time.” It doesn’t add anything to the overall plot, nor does it help carry the story. I actually thought those scenes in which she’s worrying about her first time slowed the story down. The story is otherwise fast-moving and imaginative. I like the rapport between sisters, and I want someone like Lottie to be my neighbor, for I’d go over to her house every day to eat whatever delicious baked goods she’d whipped up that day!

One Dark Throne (Sept. 19, 2017) by Kendare Blake.

*This is the second book in a series.*

The Quickening showed the queens and the populace that the future Queen Crowned is not as certain as it once seemed. As powerful as Mirabella has always been, even she quakes at Arsinoe’s supposed familiar. She also thinks that Arsinoe has betrayed her and is preparing to fight her. Arsinoe has discovered a secret, but no one outside of her best friends Juillenne “Jules” Milone and Joseph Sandrin know. She must decide if she can use this to her advantage. Katharine, once viewed as the weakest of the triplet queens, is curiously stronger than ever before, now ingesting poison at every meal. The suitors have arrived to be hosted by the queens. They know that only the Queen Crowned will choose a king-consort. William “Billy” Chatworth Jr. has been summoned to Rolanth as Mirabella’s royal taster “on pain of disinheritance,” but it’s no secret that he favors Arsinoe. The queens must watch from all sides. To let one’s guard down for an instant could mean poison in one’s tea, a poisoned bolt in the back, a perfect lightning strike or a mauling by a bear. Whether the pictured threats are real or imagined doesn’t matter, for anything is possible in an Ascension year.

            Part of the Three Dark Crowns series, “One Dark Throne” is a rich, inventive fantasy that is intensive and brutal, yet I’m rather addicted to the series and Blake’s YA novels in general. Despite the darkness expected of them, the triplet sister-queens are each noteworthy. The humanity which lies within – obvious in one or two, less so in the third – is easily overshadowed by the violence. But the violence within the story is wrought by a plot that is complex and twisted. The world-building is exceptional and the details are as radiant as they are deadly. The cliffhanger ending has me practically foaming at the mouth in anticipation of the next installment, and Blake has a wondrous twist in the story – a Beltane Begot – and it’ll be so intriguing to see where that story leads. Don’t let the lurking darkness of the novel steer you toward only dark thoughts. Because even with Blake’s dark writing, her story is luminous. This isn’t a sisterhood I’d want to be born into, but it’s a sisterhood all the same. Except this one has ties that bind … to kill.

                        Book One: Three Dark Crowns

                        Companion Novel (physical form): Queens of Fennbirn

Rutabaga's Reads 2013: Part 14

The books for this compilation have been spread out over many months. I first saved this document, nicknamed “YA Reads 2,” back in April. It’s now already November! Yes, the following books all fall into the category of young adult. As before, I hope that you’ll read this post whether you frequently read YA titles, occasionally read them or refuse to read them but know people who do.

Fury (Aug. 30, 2011) by Elizabeth Miles.

Revenge is sweet in the fictional town of Ascension, Maine, but who’s on the receiving end? Emily Winters should be enjoying winter break. There’s no school, there are parties to attend, and handsome Zach McCord is finally noticing her. Perhaps he’ll invite her over to his house. But wait. Em shouldn’t want that, because Zach is the boyfriend of Gabby Dove. And Gabby Dove is Em’s best friend. Then there’s Chase Singer. He lives on the other side of town, but he doesn’t like it to show. He wears the right clothes, is star quarterback on the football team and can get pretty much any girl he wants. After all, he belongs. But Chase has a secret of cruelty. Luke 6:31 states, “Do to others as you would have them do to you” (NRSV). That may ring truer than Chase could ever believe. Who decides their fate? Enacts the revenge? In this case, three beautiful, mystifying girls. They’ve come to Ascension for a reason. They want to make people feel sorry for their wrongdoings … But sometimes sorry isn’t enough.

            Although I mentioned the verse from Luke, “Fury” isn’t at all biblical. Think more mythological. The concept is a good one, and the writing is solid; strong language is used more than infrequently. The three girls really are as cold as deep winter and are deadly to boot. “Fury” didn’t seduce me, but it held my attention most of the time. While there are paranormal elements, it isn’t only young adult paranormal fiction. It can also bring about discussion of bullying and vengeance. The girls are all about the latter and sometimes even the former to reach the latter. Perhaps it will be addressed in later books, but the big question for me was: Why them? What makes them any worse than anyone else performing the same cruel or devious acts? Why choose someone who covets another over one who, say, takes lives? And why do these girls get to decide? Can they be bested?

Of Triton (May 28, 2013) by Anna Banks.

WARNING: UNAVOIDABLE* SPOILERS INCLUDED

Big secrets are fun, right? Emma McIntosh already knows about the Syrena and what it is to be a Half-Breed, but of course the news doesn’t end there. Now she’s trying to digest the fact that her mother is a long-lost Poseidon princess. Nalia has momentarily returned to the sea, but Emma has to stay on land. Where does she belong? She’s a freak amongst humans and an abomination amongst Syrena. But it turns out her mom isn’t having an easy time of things, either. She’s been gone for so long, and seeds of doubt have been planted by someone in the Poseidon camp. Seeds that say that Nalia isn’t Nalia the long-lost, long-thought-dead Poseidon princess, even though King Antonis is convinced she’s his daughter. He would know his own progeny, right? The troublemaker, unfortunately, is doing a better job of turning his Loyals against the Royals than the Royals are convincing them of the truth. A Tribunal, unheard of for Royals, has been called upon them. Things don’t appear to be in their favor, which could mean a trip to the Ice Caverns for them -- for their eternity. Emma may be the only one who can show them that the Royals are telling the truth and the troublemaker is the liar. But will she reveal her Gift to both Syrena kingdoms and let all the pieces fall where they may?

            Like its predecessor, “Of Triton” is told from the alternating viewpoints of Emma and Galen. Also like its predecessor, it is infused with humor, teenage sarcasm and overall literary entertainment value. The romance between Emma and Galen continues to blossom, though it’s not steamy. There aren’t any new, major, supporting characters introduced in this installment, but we do get to know some of the other supporting characters a little more (e.g. King Antonis). I highly recommend this book to anyone with watery intrigue interests.

            Book One in the trilogy: Of Poseidon

* Might the spoilers actually be avoidable? Perhaps. But considering the spoilers I listed are included on the inside of the dust jacket, I deemed them ‘unavoidable.’

Sapphire Blue (Oct. 30, 2012) by Kerstin Gier. Anthea Bell, translator.

Oh, to be a time-traveling member of the Circle of Twelve! But really, Gwen Shepherd would rather be a normal teenager. Instead she’s having lessons of historical period correctness with the dramatically unpleasant grouch called Giordano (“just Giordano”) and her horrid cousin Charlotte Montrose. The striking, green-eyed, time-traveling counterpart of Gwen’s, Gideon de Villiers, is also around, but Gwen doesn’t really know what to think of him half the time. Sometimes Gideon’s as hot as a blazing fire, and her mind is more blancmange than actual mind. Other times he’s as cold as ice, giving her such frigid glares that her heart could shatter like glass. No one knows what the Circle’s completion really means, and any other truths out there are being kept from Gwen, which she thinks is hardly fair. Most of the members don’t trust Gwen. Where does Gideon stand? Does he see her as a trustworthy person or as a traitor? At least she has her best friend, Lesley Hay, on her side. And don’t forget her new friend Xemerius, a stone gargoyle that’s the ghost of a demon that no other living person around her can see.

            Questions remain unanswered in this second book, though some are coming to light. This YA novel of light science fiction is one I find captivating. There’s also light romance, secrecy, adventure and more than a few tense and embarrassing moments. There are reunions in the past, if that makes sense; there’s even a Japanese kitchen knife (for protection, of course). “Sapphire Blue” contains plenty of humor, though I feel I chuckled aloud more reading the first book. Either way, I found this novel to be entertaining. And Gwen is a [mostly] typical teenager who’s filled with gumption and worries, not to mention schoolgirl crushes. She seems more real than not, which is not a small thing in a world of science fiction.

            Book One in the trilogy: Ruby Red

Transparent (May 21, 2013) by Natalie Whipple.

It’s one thing to feel invisible and another to actually be invisible. Just ask Fiona McClean. Invisible from birth, Fiona is a criminal syndicate baby, daughter of Jonas O’Connell. He controls Las Vegas and the northern west: Sacramento up to Seattle and over to Boise. Due to a drug called Radiasure, an antiradiation pill, much of the population has at least some mutation in their genes. Fiona’s the only invisible person, though, while her dad is a charmer. Her mom’s ability lies with telekinesis. After her dad makes a demand unlike one he’s yet given her, Fiona and her mom flee to Arizona and the territory of Juan Torres. She enrolls at a place as normal as Madison High School, where most people are wary/afraid/jealous of her. She makes a couple good friends in the process – Bea and Brady – and befriends many others. She’s gone through life with no friends and suddenly she has The Pack. All it took was a change of scenery and the strength to get away. But can she stay away forever? Jonas doesn’t want Fiona and her mom back because he misses them; they are valuable tools, and he wants his possessions.

            Debut author Natalie Whipple takes the awkwardness and pain of being a teenager and turns it on its head by adding in a drug and genetic mutations that run the gamut of fantastical abilities (e.g. Strong Arms) and strange phenomena (e.g. a green person or a baby born smelling like roses). It’s whip-smart, fast-reading and totally entertaining. There’s a cuss word here and there, but it shouldn’t make anyone cringe too much. Fiona frets more often than I would like, but it’s easy to ignore with Whipple’s fun writing. She’s definitely gained a fan in me!

Venom (Oct. 30, 2012) by Fiona Paul.

Venice, Italy, is La Serenissima: the most serene. But underneath its veneer of serenity lies a Venice that is dark and dangerous, sensual and sinful. Cassandra Caravello is a young noblewoman of society, though she lives with her aunt outside of Venice on nearby San Domenico Island. She is grieving the death of a young countess friend, but when she goes into the cemetery to say goodbye, she discovers the body of a viciously murdered woman who’s definitely not Liviana. That same night she crosses paths with a handsome artist. His name is Falco da Padova. Falco stirs feelings in Cass that she has not felt before. That’s very troublesome on two levels: First of all, he’s a commoner. Second, she’s already betrothed. Her fiancé’s name is Luca da Peraga. Luca is away studying in France, so together Falco and Cass turn into amateur sleuths. Because it’s apparent that the murderer knows who Cass is, and he wants her dead. But why? Will the killer be captured before more bodies turn up? For all of Renaissance Venice’s beauty, Cass is going to find that the most serene city can be quite dirty and ugly. And no, I’m not just referring to the emptying of chamber pots into the street … though there is that, too.

            “Venom” is Paul’s debut historical mystery and romance novel. I like how each chapter was preceded by an “excerpt” from The Book of the Eternal Rose. Nothing is mentioned of that fictional book within the novel, but my guess is that it will come into play before the trilogy’s end. I think Paul’s world-building is believable; I could picture Venice vividly through reading the author’s writing. However, I felt like this book was 100 pages too long, but it is full of detail. There are some potentially steamy and/or more mature moments (for any concerned). “Venom” is fairly predictable, but this is not a bad story, as the reader can tell that Cass is emerging from her affluently naïve cocoon and learning about the world outside her, even when that world is next door.

Rutabaga's Reads 2012: Part 9

The end of 2012 will be here shortly, so this will be my last compilation for this year. Thanks always for checking out my blog and perusing what I’ve read. I wish everyone a wonderful and blessed Christmas and a healthy, safe and fabulous 2013! Keep on reading, my Rutabaga friends!

The Humming Room (Feb. 28, 2012) by Ellen Potter.

When her parents are permanently ousted from her life, 12-year-old Roo Fanshaw is sent to live with Emmett Fanshaw, a previously unheard-of relative. He is described as eccentric, but wealthy, and lives in a large home on an island known as Cough Rock. Roo is especially skilled at hiding, which can be a very useful skill to have, but it doesn’t help her ferret out all of her new home’s secrets. What is the humming she hears? And who cries? Who is the mysterious boy on the water?

            Potter, who wrote “The Kneebone Boy” (you can find my blurb on that book here), was inspired by “The Secret Garden” to write this middle-grade novel. It is a quick read, and it has parallels that anyone who’s familiar with “The Secret Garden” will see. However, it is a shorter book and is well-modernized for this century. It’d be a good introduction for readers who may be intimidated by the original classic. I found the tale to be thoughtful and entertaining.

Ruby Red (May 10, 2011) by Kerstin Gier. Anthea Bell, translator.

Are your genes as unique as 16-year-old Gwyneth “Gwen” Shepherd’s? Gwen lives in an affluent London neighborhood, and she’s been the normal one: texting her best friend, going to the movies, giggling. But through the female line in her family runs a time-traveling gene. Her cousin, Charlotte Montrose, is supposed to be the gene carrier. So imagine everyone’s surprise (or contempt) when Gwen time travels three times within 24 hours. Talk about life going topsy-turvy! Suddenly she’s meeting the Guardians, a sort of secret society, getting fitted for fancy period-correct dresses, and traveling to eras past! Her unpreparedness is an understatement, as she didn’t get one iota of the training Charlotte did. But in being the gene carrier, she does gain a time-traveling counterpart: Gideon de Villiers. He’s easy on the eyes, but he’s also an obnoxious know-it-all.

            Gwen, the Ruby, is the last of the time travelers. With her blood, the Secret of the Twelve can be revealed, except the first chronograph was stolen. There is a second in use, but it’s not as full as the first. Why was the first chronograph stolen? Who stole it? What is the mystery that is the Secret of the Twelve?

            “Ruby Red” is the first in a YA trilogy by German author Kerstin Gier. As the first in a trilogy, there are plenty of questions yet unanswered, but I wholly enjoyed this book. I didn’t want to put this YA tale down. Gier’s storytelling flows well, and her writing is humorous and entertaining. I highly recommend this story to anyone who enjoys light science fiction.

Shadow of Night (July 10, 2012) by Deborah Harkness.

If you could timewalk, would you travel to the past and risk unwittingly disrupting it by introducing new variables? Diana Bishop and Matthew Clairmont have so that Diana can learn how to be a witch. And don’t forget Ashmole 782 (see “A Discoveryof Witches”). They expect things will be accomplished shortly. Not surprisingly, things don’t go as planned. Danger lurks in multiple forms, as do secrets and fears, love and sorrow. Then throw in many notable historical figures – e.g. Christopher Marlowe, Sir Walter Raleigh and even William Shakespeare – and the past can get extra messy. (Or for Matthew, re-messy.) Will Diana learn to control the witch in her? Can Matthew come to terms with his greatest fears? How will their actions in the past affect the present? Will time unravel?

            Fans of “A Discovery of Witches” will surely add this sequel to their bookshelves, but I did not find this novel as riveting as the first. The writing is intelligent, but I lacked interest in the book until roughly 275 pages in. Harkness is well-researched, which is so important, but it is the reason I didn’t find it riveting. There were too many extra details. And sometimes, extra details read as just extra words. This novel is over 575 pages long; therefore, it contains a lot of extra words for someone like me who finds historical details interesting but doesn’t necessarily relish them.

            I’m not discouraging anyone from reading this book; I’m still interested enough to look forward to the final installment. I simply want you to be aware that this isn’t a rapid read like the Twilight series. It’s heavy stuff. After all, it’s holding the weight of the main characters’ present AND over four hundred years of the past!

Vanishing Barns on the Backroads (Apr. 9, 2012) by Julie Bronson.

A book of photography with limited captions, Julie Bronson captures vanishing scenes from the countryside. Most of the photos were taken within 35-40 miles of where she lives in southern Minnesota. This book, as noted by the title, focuses on very old barns, though there are other crumbling structures as well (e.g. silos, windmills). Bronson finds beauty in the dilapidated, the abandoned, the forgotten. To her, these relics of an older farming landscape represent a treasure trove of rural history.

            Bronson displays much skill in her photography. It is apparent that she cares very much for the subjects of her photos, inanimate as they are. She pays great attention to natural lighting and the angle of the shot. She hones in on the remains of a bygone time. In her next book, I would like to see page numbers, and it would be a good idea for someone to proofread her book before she publishes it. Aside from that, this book is a dear ode to the vanishing structures of old. These barns/silos/etc. were once essential to the organization and management of farms, so let us appreciate them as their physical shells vanish from view along our back roads.

What Doesn’t Kill You (Apr. 17, 2012) by Iris Johansen.

Newly introduced Catherine Ling is a beautiful but lethal woman. Orphaned at a young age, she was left to fend for herself in Hong Kong. To survive, she became an expert in martial arts and information-gathering. She can be ruthless and cold. She does have a caring side, which she often attempts to keep tamped down. Now a top-notch and highly effective CIA agent, Catherine wants to focus her attention on her son, Luke. But the CIA calls, and she’s whisked away to find Hu Chang, a master chemist whose life she once saved. A brilliant man, he’s concocted wonders that can miraculously heal or painfully slay. A vile man named Hugh Nardik has something Hu Chang made, and Nardik will stop at nothing to accomplish what he wants, including hurting Catherine and her son. Can Nardik be stopped before he reaches his goal to destroy?

            “What Doesn’t Kill You” is classic Johansen. There’s a strong woman at the center of the story who’s bold and is no distressed damsel. There are supporting characters we know from her past novels, and there’s plenty of violence. For those familiar with Johansen’s work, there aren’t many surprises, and the suspense is same old, but it’s always nice to cheer for the good guys, though even they can walk a fine line. I do applaud her on her character, Catherine Ling. It’s nice that she’s finally introduced a major heroine who’s not only Caucasian. Read this if you like thriller fiction.