Review: GEIST

Geist by Philippa Ballantine
Book 1 of the Order of the Deacons

Genre: fantasy, for 18s or older only

About Geist:

Geists don’t always play by the rules.

Between the living and the dead is the Order of the Deacons, protectors of the Empire, guardians against possession, sentinels enlisted to ward off the malevolent haunting of the geists…

Among the most powerful of the Order is Sorcha, now thrust into partnership with the novice Deacon, Merrick Chambers. They have been dispatched to the isolated village of Ulrich to aide the Priory with a surge of violent geist activity. With them is Raed Rossin, Pretender to the throne that Sorcha is sworn to protect, and bearer of a terrible curse.

But what greets them in the strange settlement is something far more predatory and more horrifying than any mere haunting. And as she uncovers a tradition of twisted rituals passed down through the dark reaches of history, Sorcha will be forced to reconsider everything she thinks she knows.

And if she makes it out of Ulrich alive, what in Hell is she returning to?

Source: Info in the About Geist was taken from the author's website at http://www.booksoftheorder.com/?page_id=4 on 11/06/2011.

Review:

This book started off slow but once past a couple of chapters it started to pick up... then it's action after action until the very end! So pace-wise, it wasn't too bad. The story telling quality was just a tiny, itsy-bitsy shade from being a masterpice. I find myself needing little short breaks while reading this book. But during my breaks, the story would pull me back as the characters prance around my head and I imagine alternative plots to the story. And then when I read on, I get surprised by the unexpected turn the plot went instead! Ahhh... this author is good at inventing stories indeed!! The other thing I really liked about this book is that it has a well-structured story. I like stories with cohesive structure because it is easier to wrap my mind around it if it does, therefore, really ranks right high up with me as a reader. I like it when I can wrap my head around a story as oppose to one where I struggle to do so. Authors of books without a well-structured story, I tend not to buy again.

Look at that cover! The art department deserves a bloody raise!! If I was on one of my retail therapy sessions and browsing the shelves of a bookstore, this cover would trigger my book buying radar with an irristible pull!

I didn't like the inconsistent rules of magic in this world of the geists though. In the scene where we first witnessed Raed's change, he lost his clothes. But in The Melding scene, they did not loose their clothes. They came off it presumed to be fully clothed. Now, that is not consistent. But because of the wonderful "story building skills" that this author displayed and the enjoyment I got out of this book, I would still give it a high rating.

Empirical Evaluation:
Story Telling Quality = 4
World Building = 5
Character Development = 5
Pace = 4
Plot = 5
Story Itself = 4.5
Ending = 4.5

Overall Rating: 4.5 out of 5 cherries


Books In The Order Of The Deacons Series:


Thank you to Penguin for the review copy of Geist by Philippa Ballantine received.

HIDDEN WORLDS by ALAYNA WILLIAMS

Hidden Worlds
by Alayna Williams

One of the tricky issues in writing urban fantasy is finding the appropriate balance between fantasy and reality. Urban fantasy, by definition, includes fantastical elements (including paranormal ideas or magic) in a mundane setting. Fantastic elements make a story interesting, and realistic elements make a story believable. Too much fantasy makes the magic less special, drowns it in a sea of fantastic characters and places. Too much realism makes the world too gritty or dull. But how much of each is too much?

Often, this takes a good deal of trial and error, depending upon the rules of the world. There are two types of general settings in urban fantasy: an open world in which the fantastic elements are known to all its inhabitants, and a hidden world in which the fantastic elements are unknown except to a select few.

Open worlds include worlds in which fantastic creatures roam the streets, have the right to vote, and are well-integrated into the fabric of society. An open world would be the kind of world in which my brother would bring a vampire home for dinner that he met on a paranormal dating site. I’d be glowering at his hickeys while I was spooning out the mashed potatoes. Open worlds allow for more elements of the fantastic, because they have become ordinary in that setting. People are accustomed to hair removal products for Weres being marketed on daytime television. The world is flexible and resilient, operating under a different set of rules than our own. The reader’s beliefs are effectively suspended at the outset, and the reader knows that anything is possible in this world – it’s wide open.

Hidden worlds require a lighter touch with the fantastic. Hidden worlds operate almost exactly the same as our own on the surface. It’s what’s beneath that’s cause for alarm. Too much magic roiling underneath the surface can make the fantastic elements seem less special and dull their impact. Too much magic can also strains the credibility of a secret world needs to remain secret. Ordinary humans may miss a few supernatural creatures or organizations operating in their midst, but ordinary people less likely to be able to ignore a zoo of things that go bump in the night living across the street.

The world of the oracles I created in ROGUE ORACLE is a hidden world. Tara Sheridan is a criminal profiler who uses Tarot cards to solve crimes. She's also a member of the Daughters of Delphi, an ancient society of oracles who trace their heritage back to the times of the Oracle of Delphi. They're a secret society with diverse talents: the women of Delphi's Daughters possess talents as diverse as pyromancy and geomancy. They can see the future in something as mundane as the yolk of an egg or as dramatic as a house fire.

But they hide their talents. They exist side by side with the rest of the world, blending seamlessly with the everyday. Sometimes, they use their powers for pure purposes, sometimes for political ones. But they always work behind the scenes, nudging the course of world events to suit the direction of their leader, the Pythia.

Tara hides the source of her power, as well. Paired with a skeptical partner, she's assigned to chase down a serial killer who's selling nuclear secrets on the world black market. She keeps her cards tucked in her pocket, consulting them surreptitiously for guidance.

Because her world is much like ours, she must fear discovery. What would her superiors think if the direction of a major investigation was guided by a deck of cards? What would her partner think? She stands to lose everything, all her professional credibility, love, and her mission, if she's found out.

I enjoy having that threat of discovery that a hidden world creates, an extra obstacle for my heroine to overcome.

I want her to be looking over her shoulder. I want her to wonder who's watching her, waiting for her to slip up and reveal her hand.

Alayna Williams (a.k.a. Laura Bickle) has worked in the unholy trinity of politics, criminology, and technology for several years. She lives in the Midwestern U.S. with her chief muse, owned by four mostly-reformed feral cats. Writing as Laura Bickle, she's the author of EMBERS and SPARKS for Pocket - Juno Books. Writing as Alayna Williams, she's the author of DARK ORACLE and ROGUE ORACLE. More info on her urban fantasy and general nerdiness is here: www.salamanderstales.com

About ROGUE ORACLE:

The more you know about the future, the more there may be to fear.

Tara Sheridan is the best criminal profiler around - and the most unconventional. Trained as a forensic psychologist, Tara also specializes in Tarot card reading. But she doesn't need her divination skills to realize that the new assignment from her friend and sometime lover, Agent Harry Li, is a dangerous proposition in every way.

Former Cold War operatives, all linked to a top-secret operation tracking the disposal of nuclear weapons in Russia, are disappearing. There are no bodies, and no clues to their whereabouts. Harry suspects a conspiracy to sell arms to the highest bidder. The cards - and Tara's increasingly ominous dreams - suggest something darker. Even as Tara sorts through her feelings for Harry and her fractured relationships with the mysterious order known as Delphi's Daughters, a killer is growing more ruthless by the day. And a nightmare that began decades ago in Chernobyl will reach a terrifying endgame that not even Tara could have foreseen…

Buy Links:

WW28: SPIRIT GATE

WW28
A chance to showcase your favourite!

• First you grab our Wicked Wednesday pic.
• Then you grab a book. Turn to page 28. Take the first sentence. And then you post it in your site with a link back to WW28.
• Come back to Cherry Mischievous - WW28 and give us the url of your post (in a comment at a WW28 post) so that other WW28 readers can find your WW28 offering.

WW28 book offering : Spirit Gate by Kate Elliott

"Beware those Devouring youths," said an unrepentant Vatta. The old woman had a wicked grin of a soul that hasn't yet done making mischief.

This is not the first sentence nor of page 28, but I love this line. Wicked!

About Spirit Gate:

In a world torn apart by warfare and betrayal, a new darkness has arisen.

Outlanders Anji and Mai are on the run with a company of dedicated Qin warriors, when they meet an unusual reeve in the mysterious country known as the Hundred.

Together, they must decide whether to take on a fanatical army against impossible odds. Because if they don’t, the land will certainly be lost.

Source: Info in the About Spirit Gate was taken from the author's website at http://www.kateelliott.com/default.asp?cmsnumber=1&page_id=105 on 28/03/2011.

Review: SHIVER

Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater
Book 1 of The The Wolves of Mercy Falls Trilogy
Read by Jenna Lamia and David Ledoux

Genre: urban fantasy, YA
Format: MP3 audiobook

About Shiver:

For years, Grace has watched the wolves in the woods behind her house. One yellow-eyed wolf—her wolf—is a chilling presence she can't seem to live without. Meanwhile, Sam has lived two lives: In winter, the frozen woods, the protection of the pack, and the silent company of a fearless girl.

Source: Info in the About Shiver was taken from the author's website at http://www.maggiestiefvater.com/novels.php#wolves on 26/06/2011.

FTC Disclosure: This audiobook was downloaded for free from AudioBookSync at http://www.audiobooksync.com on 25/06/2011. No compensation received for this review.

Review:

This is the first audiobook I've heard that has two narrators. And for this book, this technique works very well indeed! I find that the narrators become intrinsically important in the book experience, so, if the narrator(s) have a heavy accent and hard to understand, I abandon that audiobook. The book probably was good but I just couldn't listen to that narrator as I could only make out few sentences. With Jenna Lamia and David Ledoux, the words are distinct to my ears and the intonation were just right. It makes the book experience a listening pleasure!

A feature about this book which I really appreciate as a reader is that this book have a well-structured story. You have a beginning and an end. A clear central dilemma and the story ends with a satisfying resolution to that dilemma. I like that rather than just a mish mash of events and characters which are loosely related and somebody slapped an ending to. I generally wouldn't buy that author ever again. Maggie Stiefvater is clearly not that kind of author!

This book started out slow. But I persevered and after a while the story grew on me. This audiobook is in 9 parts... by Part 2, I started to like the story, though I scoffed at it at the start. I think that gives kudos to the story telling quality, that the author was able to make me like something I scoffed at and was quite skeptical of the world building to begin with. Another warning about this book, be prepared with a box of tissues when you start reading/listening to it. Good thing I was alone in the house or I would have looked a real bonkers crying by myself... or not... depending on who saw me, I guess... And at the end of it, I wanted to read the next book straight away to see how the story progressed. The story ended with a good resolution to the central dilemma, but it also tantalizingly pointed to exciting things to happen in the next book. Good thing I have Linger in my TBR shelf.

Empirical Evaluation:
Story telling quality = 4
Character development = 4.5
World Building = 5
Story Structure = 5
Ending = 4
Cover art = 2
Narrators = 4.5

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 cherries


The Wolves of Mercy Falls series:

*This bit was added after realizing that not everybody might have been to Maggie Stiefvater's facebook:
Please note that Book 4 cover is not real, I used it as a stand-in as it doesn't have a cover yet.... mmmm.... it doesn't exist yet (am optimistic, especially after having listened to Shiver). Source of image is here: http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10150252067999466&set=a.414591764465.207553.412830324465.

IN THE MAIL: THE IRON KING

This is what the mailman brought me yesterday! *happy dance*

Thank you to MiraInk for the review copy of The Iron King by Julie Kagawa received.

About The Iron King:

Meghan Chase has a secret destiny; one she could never have imagined.
Something has always felt slightly off in Meghan's life, ever since her father disappeared before her eyes when she was six. She has never quite fit in at school or at home.

When a dark stranger begins watching her from afar, and her prankster best friend becomes strangely protective of her, Meghan senses that everything she's known is about to change.

But she could never have guessed the truth - that she is the daughter of a mythical faery king and is a pawn in a deadly war. Now Meghan will learn just how far she'll go to save someone she cares about, to stop a mysterious evil no faery creature dare face; and to find love with a young prince who might rather see her dead than let her touch his icy heart.

Source: Info in the About The Iron King was taken from GoodReads at http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6644117-the-iron-king on 02/07/2011.

Review: LAST ARGUMENT OF KINGS

Last Argmuent Of Kings by Joe Abercrombie
Book 3 of the First Law Trilogy

Genre: epic fantasy

About Last Argmuent Of Kings:

Logen Ninefingers might only have one more fight in him – but it’s going to be a big one. Battle rages across the North, the King of the Northmen still stands firm, and there’s only one man who can stop him. His oldest friend, and his oldest enemy: it’s time for the Bloody-Nine to come home.

With too many masters and too little time, Superior Glokta is fighting a different kind of war. A secret struggle in which no-one is safe, and no-one can be trusted. As his days with a sword are far behind him, it’s fortunate that he’s deadly with his remaining weapons: blackmail, threats, and torture.

Jezal dan Luthar has decided that winning glory is too painful an undertaking, and turned his back on soldering for a simple life with the woman he loves. But love can be painful too – and glory has a nasty habit of creeping up on a man when he least expects it.

The King of the Union lies on his deathbed, the peasants revolt, and the nobles scramble to steal his crown. No-one believes that the shadow of war is about to fall across the heart of the Union. Only the First of the Magi can save the world – but there are risks. There is no risk more terrible, than to break the First Law...

Source: Info in the About Last Argmuent Of Kings was taken from GoodReads at http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6237768-last-argument-of-kings on 16/04/2011.

My Thoughts:

The author's "voice" feel and read smooth. The world building and character development is masterful. The character development is so good that they feel like old friends at this point. And then the ending broke my heart! It is "not really" a “happily-ever-after” (HEA). Those characters that the author is so good at creating? Some of them did not have a HEA. But on the other side of the coin, maybe I got so heartbroken because the author is so good at weaving the story that I felt it deeply. Gotta give the author a lot of kudos for that! It gives you pause to wonder though if some of the “good guys” might not really be good and some of the “bad guys” might not really be bad. The whole trilogy is just a long sad tale where I couldn't find much of a meaning to the heros' struggles. Is it even a fight of good versus evil? So at the end of it, what were all their struggles for? All their trials? All their hardships? For what? The answers to those questions were not very satisfying to me as a reader. I also find the writing style using multiple threads to be slow going, annoying and feels discordant to read. So despite the masterful author’s “voice”, I don’t think I would be buying anymore work by this author.

When I read this book about a few months ago, Adele's song, Someone Like You, just released and keeps replaying on the radio. Now, every time I hear it, my heart breaks all over again for Logen! I think those who have read this trilogy and hears this song might understand what I meant... of missed chances... regrets and mistakes are memories we make...

Final Say:

Joe Abercrombie has a very compelling author's voice, I just wish he'd improve on his writing style and endings.

Empirical Evaluation:
Story Telling Quality = 5
World Building = 5
Character Development = 5
Plot = 3.5
Pace = 2.5
Story Itself = 2.5
Writing Style = 1.5
Ending = 2

Overall Rating: 3 out of 5 cherries


Other Books In This Series: