W. B. Yeats is usually seen as a great innovator who put his stamp so decisively on modern Irish literature that most of his successors worked in his shadow. R. F. Foster's new book, Words Alone: Yeats and his Inheritances, weaves together literature and history to present an alternative perspective.
Tuesday 5/31 - last chance to enter to win Radiant Shadows - giveaway
This is not a review per se, just a bunch of ramblings about my love of everything Fever series. I had never read a Karen Marie Moning book, but knew that she wrote the Highlander series. My mother, I believe, adores that series. She likes the time-traveling books, I'm okay with them, but I prefer urban fantasy in the now. I believe I first heard of the Fever series by my friend Kenda. When we were huge into our Black Dagger Brotherhood phase. So I went to the library and lo and behold, they had the first book there!
Darkfever was book one. My love of all things Ireland really cemented that I would love this book. I'd been to the bars and Trinity. I fell in love with Dublin Castle. So I could picture the City Centre perfectly well. I knew the city so I could fall in love with city along with MacKayla Lane. However, she's there because she needs to find out who killed her beloved sister. What she finds out when she arrives in Dublin is more amazing and utterly believable. The Irish are so into their lore and being so rich in history, Moning's story just hit the right note for me.
I adored the characters and boy are there a cast of them. Jericho Barrons, the inimitable owner of Barrons Books and Baubles. How can you
not love the name. Oh, his middle initial? Z. Love! His stuffiness and total respect of MacKayla (she is Ms. Lane to him) is endearing. Although the heat between Mac and Barrons is palpable. He walks into a room and you know that Mac wants to rip her clothes off and fling herself at him.
But she has V'Lane for that. He is Death-by-Sex fae and he turns it on whenever he wants to. Mac will strip in the middle of the street for V'Lane. She will do things in front of people that most people won't do behind closed doors!
And this brings us to book two. Thankfully, both books were out when I started reading them. It would suck that I would have to wait for book three. The first three books were produced in Mass Market Paperback, so for a couple of dollars, I could run to the local store or supermarket to pick them up. But I got the first two at the library. I'm not sure about the third book, I might have that one here. I'll have to check.
We still have no clue how or why Alina Lane died, but we know that Mac is important in finding a very old book called the
sinsar dubh. Barrons wants it, and he will go to the very extremes to get it and it seems as if Mac is the only person who can track it. Whenever she comes into contact with it, she gets physically ill. Kinda reminds me of the original Buffy where if a vampire was around she'd get all crampy in the mid region. Vampires suck if they make you have period cramps!
By the time we get to book three, we know that Halloween is going to be the day when the Seelie and Unseelie wil
Rise of the Darklings (The Invisible Order Book #1) by Paul Crilley
At twelve years old, Emily Snow has been looking after her younger brother since her parents disappeared. She tries to earn enough money to feed them both by selling watercress on the streets of Victorian London. One cold morning on her way to the watercress vendor, Emily encounters several strange small people having a battle. After the battle, two men approach her to ask her what she witnessed. Emily refuses to tell them, but that is not the last she will hear from them or from the piskies she saw battling. In fact, Emily has just entered the confusing and amazing world of the sidhe where both sides want her to help them and no one is telling the truth. Joined by Jack, a thief from the streets, Emily tries to figure out who she can trust and what her role is in the future of both humans and fey.
This book is a pleasure to read. Crilley has nicely balanced the world of the fey with the real world of London. Filled with details about the city, this book’s setting is well drawn and delightfully mixed with the magic and wonder of the sidhe world. Crilley also offers a feisty heroine who will delight young readers not only with her intelligence but her own guile as she deals with the faeries and The Invisible Order of humans too. The book reads effortlessly, beginning quickly with the pages whipping by as the adventure heats up. Children looking for a good read should look no further. Teachers as well should look to this as a great classroom read with enough action to keep even the most doubtful listener rapt.
A delight of a novel, this is one of the top faery books I have read for younger readers. Appropriate for ages 9-12.
Reviewed from copy received from Egmont.
Another snow day. More snow expected today and tomorrow. You know it's bad when...
Your Chinese teacher calls for your weekly lesson and asks what's going on and you tell her that you got all the snow in the world this weekend and are getting more tonight and you haven't been to work since Thursday because of it. And she says "Oh yes, I know, I saw that on the news." WHEN YOUR CHINESE TEACHER LIVES IN SHANGHAI! Apparently, my weather woes are international news now. Aiyo!
The Good Neighbors: Kith Holly Black, illus. Ted Naifeh
In this sequel to
Kin, (
which I reviewed in March) the fairies are getting closer to taking over Rue's town. Rue's still searching for her mother, and her friends are being seriously weird as the fae start to encroach in many different ways on her life.
I really liked this one, much better than the first. And I think I just put my finger on what's a little weird about this series. It doesn't read like a usual one-shot graphic novel even though it's published like one. (Ok, yes, I know it's a series) but I want to compare it to works like the
The Plain Janes, or
Rapunzel's Revenge (which both have sequels). But, instead, it reads more like
Death Note or
Fables-- something that's very long-range and almost needs to be considered as a whole instead of individual volumes. Does that make sense? Either way, it requires a brain shift for me when reading, which is something I'll be sure to keep in mind in when the next volume comes out.
In general, I really like Black's work in folklore and how she brings traditional beliefs and lore into a modern setting. I think she's a master at this. She doesn't mess with her supernatural realms, and I really appreciate that. You can tell she's a serious student of this. Also, I'm still blown away by the talk she gave at the National Book Festival in 2007 and her views on urban legends as modern folklore. Good, thought provoking stuff.
Book Provided by... my local library
Tithe: A Modern Faerie Tale Holly Black
Kaye's always been a weird girl, but when she moves back to New Jersey and reunites with her childhood friends, she realizes that maybe it's not her fault. Kaye really is a pixie--a changel
As the world grows smaller faeries come in all colours and when faeries are very new they all go to school. Here they are taking a magic class tied together with ribbon so as they do not get lost.
This is for WAWE diversity.
Ballad by Maggie Stiefvater
This sequel to Lament continues the story of Dee and James, this time from James’ perspective. Now the two of them are at Thornking-Ash, a boarding highschool for musically talented teens. James is an incredibly talented piper and his talent draws in a faerie who seeks out musicians and gives them great music in exchange for years of their lives. Nuala arrives ready to make a deal with James, but as they get to know one another better, her motives change. Now they must deal with the fact that Nuala lives only 16 years and will be burned alive on Halloween only to return reborn without any memories. And on top of that, they have to stop the cunning other faeries who are searching for more power through Dee.
Stiefvater has outdone herself here. Her prose is thorny, magical, and gripping. The novel draws you into its faerie ring and won’t release you until you are gasping for breath from the dance. Her characterization of James is poignant and soul searching combined with a sarcasm and wit that really brings him to life. Nuala is a character readers will be set to detest, but will slowly warm to just as James does. She is a complex character who changes through the course of the book believably.
The setting of the school is done very well. It becomes both an area of safety and a place of fear. The campus setting is ideal for this sort of story with its separateness, community and structure.
Impossible to put down, breathlessly turning and spinning, this novel is a wonder. Highly recommended to all libraries and to all teens who loved Lament, this book is appropriate for ages 13-17.
Reviewed from copy received from publisher.
Also reviewed by Bib-Laura-graphy, Angieville, Jen Robinson’s Book Page, Library Lounge Lizard, The Well-Read Child, and Charlotte’s Library.
Marr, Melissa. 2009. Fragile Eternity. HarperCollins. 389 pages.
I've gone about reading this series all wrong. I read Ink Exchange first. Then read Wicked Lovely. Then Fragile Eternity. If I'd had the time, perhaps, I should have reread Ink Exchange. But I didn't. (Technically, it shouldn't matter too much. Ink Exchange is more of a companion novel than a sequel--same world, different narrators.) Fragile Eternity shifts the focus back to Seth and Aislinn. Seth still madly loves Aislinn (Ash). Ash still loves Seth. And yet there's Keenan. The summer king who is never quite out of the picture. He is her equal. She is drawn to him. Unmistakably, inevitably drawn to him. The fact that they're both immortal helps some here. Yet she still chooses Seth. Declaring that her more-instinctual lust for her king can be suppressed. Seth feels jealous, as can be expected. Being with Ash isn't easy for Seth. He, as a mortal, is delicate in comparison. Ash can hurt him easily, without even thinking about it. Her touch can burn and blister his skin. When they're together, it's not easy and it's not without risk.
At the same time, Donia is still in love with Keenan...and Keenan's in love with Donia. Problem is they're dangerous together. As the winter queen, she's all cold and ice and he's all fire and heat. When they're intimate, it's risky for both of them. And Donia is even more uncomfortable than Seth when it comes to Ash's intrusion. Keenan can't help wanting to be with his rightful queen. And Donia hates feeling like she's second choice.
There are so many characters--mostly faery--in Fragile Eternity. And I enjoyed getting to know them. The introduction of Sorcha and Bananach adds so much depth to the story. With Bananach's need for war and chaos, it gets very interesting.
With each book, the story gets more complex as characters are more fully developed. One thing I enjoyed about this one is that we get Seth's side. Much of the story is told from his point of view in fact. And I loved the added depth and substance. Seth is the focus here. He's got the attention of several different faery courts. And he's even caught the attention of the High Court. Sorcha has been 'warned' that this mortal has too much influence with the faeries. That this mortal 'pet' needs to be taken care of. But will Sorcha agree? Where does Seth belong in the world?
© Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews
Marr, Melissa. 2007. Wicked Lovely. HarperCollins. 328 pages.
"Four ball, side pocket." Aislinn pushed the cue forward with a short, quick thrust; the ball dropped into the pocket with a satisfying clack.
Aislinn is special, but she'd rather be ordinary. She's grown up seeing fairies. (As has her Grams.) She'd give anything to not be able to see these mischievous to menacing fairies. It means living life carefully. Following three important rules: don't stare at invisible fairies, don't speak to invisible fairies, don't ever attract their attention. By the end of the book, how many rules do you think Aislinn has broken?
Not that it's her fault. Aislinn seems rather destined to have this adventure. It all starts when the Summer King (a fairy), Keenan, begins dreaming about Aislinn. The game has begun, and poor Aislinn doesn't stand a chance. Keenan senses that she is the one. The mortal girl who will become his queen. (Hereby joining him in immortality.) Whether she wants him or no, she's about to become immortal. And she has three choices: becoming a mindless summer girl--a mindless, easy girl, or accepting the challenge and trying to become Keenan's queen: if she succeeds, she becomes queen; if she fails, well, you don't want to know how awful that can be. Just ask Donia. She's the last girl who tried to become queen. Now she's helplessly in love with the Summer King, but in the service of the Winter Queen, the Summer King's mother, the evil Beira. But when you're Aislinn, all of these so-called choices mean heartbreak. Because she wants to be mortal. She wants nothing to do with faeries. She wants only to have a normal life, to be with her best friend, Seth. He's the guy that she is dreaming of. He's the guy that makes her life worth living. Keenan? Don't even think about it. Seth's the one. The guy that understands and accepts her.
I enjoyed this one. It was fun. It was dark in places, but it wasn't too dark.
© Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews
View Next 17 Posts
.jpg?picon=3847)
.jpeg?picon=1549)
.jpeg?picon=3655)
i
Leave a way for me to contact you if you win or check back often to see if you are the winner!
I LOVE your new Sleeping Fairy Note cards, Becky.
What do I love about gardens? The anticipation after you've planted a seed! The delight of watching it grow and bloom! The feeling you get from just admiring God's handiwork! It's amazing!
Thanks for the chance to win your new cards, and for your generosity!
Blessings!
Oh, I love gardens, the palette of colors, the textures, the fragrances, all the amazing petals, like jewels... just fills my heart and makes it sing! I also like getting my hands dirty and helping my garden grow, its very satisfying, anchoring work, and I'm teaching my children about gardening too, and nature study, we take our pencils and papers outside and draw the flowers, leaves, birds, etc. Passing on the love.
Love your Sleeping Fairies, so peaceful. Thanks for offering these cards Becky, they will make someone very happy!
I love the peaceful quiet of gardens, the smells, the colors, the quiet bee bumping around the flowers. And I love that you always find something different every time you visit. (^_^) I'm at Brikko Hayashi on FB.
I love the garden for it's dew drops in the early morning,
For the fresh scents of lush in the noon,
And the peaceful tranquility as the blooms sleep at night.
The garden is where all things magical are born.
I love how the gardens only bloom and flourish under great tender care by the sun and drizzles of water by the rain. Nature at it's peak
I love how the garden represents life in it's own small manner. Always flourishing and wilting only to flourish again with the changing seasons. It gives hope
I love the gardens because it's the playground of fairies, a place where magic reigns free. I would always go as a little girl. This post has reminded me of a wonderful childhood
I love the gardens because that's the place my granma would open up to me and told me stories of her childhood
I love all the colors and scents in a garden and the possibilities of seeing so many wonderful blessings of nature--butterflies, birds, delicate blossoms, ladybugs, dragonflies etc.!
[email protected]
I love to watch the bumble bees buzzing with their fuzzy bottoms on all my flowers, especially the foxgloves. Flowers always make me smile. LOVE your cards as ever, nice to have found you on facebook.
Catherine x