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A Fairy Good Tale – Shimmerspell by Kimberly Spencer

July 5, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Shimmerspell - Kimberly Spencer

Shimmerspell by Kimberly Spencer. Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult, Paranormal Romance. Published by Enchanted Apple Publishing, April 2011.

When sixteen-year-old Jensen Meadows finds herself caught in the middle of an ancient faerie war, she soon learns that faeries aren’t made of sparkly goodness. They’re vicious. And worse, they’re after her. With the help of Liam Casey, she delves into their world to find her missing sister and begins to suspect that her whole life has been nothing more than a faerie tale. [Goodreads]

Sixteen-year-old Jensen Meadows seems like a fairly normal teenage girl. She has curious boys eyeing her, a gossipy friend and girl drama which may break out into a catfight. But Meadows soon finds herself caught in the middle of an ancient conflict between faeries. Helped along by Liam Casey, a faerie, Meadows is surrounded by danger.
It turns out Jensen Meadows is a faerie herself. Or, more specifically, a nixie.

Jensen and Fiona, Liam’s sister, go to a party on the Isle of Mermen. The party seems to go well but eventually turns into a crazy brawl. It is here at the party that one of Jensen’s teachers from high school reveals himself as something quite a bit more unique than a boring math teacher.

But the real shocker is the six words her math teacher says at the end of the story.

Thoughts on Shimmerspell

There are a couple of places where you almost have to roll your eyes at the dialogue such as this line from Jensen.

“And this dagger in my hand says that I prefer Team W, now do what I said.”

Luckily, the eye rollers are few. The dialogue is concise and informative while always moving the story along. Spencer does a great job with pace and you’ll find yourself tearing through the book in one or two sittings.

Shimmerspell is pretty much an origin story where Jensen Meadows changes from normal teenager to faerie teenager with a strange family and unique friends. Jensen’s personal growth was minor and mostly related to wrapping her head around being a nixie. However, Jensen’s worldview changes dramatically as she learns that her sister is really her mother and she’s now part of a world that teens only dream about – fae, elves, witches, wizards, etc. Kimberly Spencer does something a little different, she ties in her story to the classic tale of King Arthur.

Jensen Meadows, in this novella at least, is more a victim of circumstances than a hero taking control of her life and overcoming obstacles to win the day. However, from the sounds of it that part comes in book 2 – Limerick. On a positive note, the characters are interesting and you can empathize with what Jensen is going through. Kimberly does a great job of keeping the story engaging with little plot twists and revelations.

Conclusion

Shimmerspell is a fun novella. But, it’s going to appeal more to young ladies who like Twilight than guys who like Lord of the Rings. Which of course isn’t a bad thing, we all know the success of Twilight. I downloaded the book just to try something different and since it was a short story I knew I could blaze through it quickly. I have to admit that I was pleasantly surprised by Shimmerspell. So, if you want to try something different or you like teen drama, then you’ll probably enjoy it.

Filed Under: Fantasy, Paranormal Romance, Young Adult Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Star Wars + Zombies = Red Harvest by Joe Schreiber

June 28, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Red Harvest by Joe Schreiber. Genre: Fantasy, Science Fiction. Published by LucasBooks December 2010.

The era of the Old Republic is a dark and dangerous time, as Jedi Knights valiantly battle the Sith Lords and their ruthless armies. But the Sith have disturbing plans—and none more so than the fulfillment of Darth Scabrous’s fanatical dream, which is about to become nightmarish reality. [Goodreads]

Set in the time period known as the Old Republic, more than a thousand years before Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace, author Joe Shreiber takes us to a Sith planet called Odacer-Faustin. The planet is home to a Sith Academy and we are treated to a glimpse of their training. Not surprisingly, the training is brutal and the dog-eat-dog attitude among students is what one would expect. The landscape is rocky and covered with snow, cold and rough like a Sith. The academy includes barracks, a library and a massive tower that houses the Sith Lord.

One particular student has stood out among the rest, Rance Lussk, an athletically built young man with flaming red hair. Few dared to approach him and those who had sparred with him not only lost but three had left the academy and one hung himself. For no apparent reason, Lussk challenges Wim Nickter to a duel. Nickter is humiliated by Lussk. Then, like the others, Nickter disappears.

The slightly reclusive Sith Lord in charge of this academy is Darth Scabrous. Rumor around campus is that the students who keep disappearing are ending up in the Sith Lord’s tower and being used for science experiments. Curiously, Nickter’s disappearance draws more attention than usual. Scopique, an older Sith-trainee, encourages Jura Ostrogoth to investigate their whereabouts and discover what is happening in Scabrous’ tower. Reluctantly, Jura agrees.

Darth Scabrous has come across information from Darth Drear, the founder of the academy on Odacer-Faustin. Scabrous wants to replicate a process that Drear discovered but was unable to complete. Part of that process requires a flower – a very particular, Force-sensitive flower known as a Murakami orchid. Obtaining a genuine Murakami, however, is difficult. Many bounty hunters have attempted to deliver the it but only one, a Whiphid named Tulkh, has found a real Murakami. In addition to being Force-sensitive, a Murakami requires a keeper to survive. In this case, the keeper is a Jedi named Hestizo “Zo” Trace.

Zo is interesting because she’s considered weak in the Force. Or perhaps, she failed her training at the Jedi Academy. In any case, Zo works in the Agricultural Corps utilizing her skill at communicating with plants. What surprised me is we don’t even meet Zo until we’re 38 pages into the book. Considering she is the primary character that just struck me as odd.

Scabrous obtains the orchid to complete his nefarious experiment. But of course, he must test it out and the first victim is Wim Nickter. At this point, Jura has made it into the tower, witnessing Nickter’s transformation. This is how the Sickness spreads, first Nickter then Jura and it only gets worse from there.

These things had transcended death. The power they held was beyond anything taught here at the academy. Before it, both Jedi and Sith were nothing, less than nothing, infinitesimal crumbs in the vast expanse of the universe. [pg.142]

Conclusion

Red Harvest is an interesting take on zombie plagues. I haven’t read Schreiber’s first book, Death Troopers, so I have no idea if the cause of the infection is similar or if his writing style is similar. In any case, Schreiber portrayed the Sith accurately and provided a unique glimpse into the Old Republic.

Although I enjoyed the book, I didn’t really feel bought into the story until about halfway through. I attribute that more to lack of known characters and not a deficiency in Schreiber’s writing skill. There a few points in the story where Zo all of a sudden uses some pretty cool Force powers. But since she’s not a Jedi Knight and clearly not very experienced in combat my reaction was more like, “Whaaaat?” For a zombie themed storyline it also had surprisingly little action. But overall, this is a solid addition to the Star Wars universe.

Filed Under: Fantasy, Science Fiction Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

A Short Stay In Hell

June 24, 2012 By Leave a Comment

A Short Stay In Hell by Steven L. Peck. Genre: Fantasy, Contemporary. Published by Strange Violin Editions, March 2012.

An ordinary family man, geologist, and Mormon, Soren Johansson has always believed he’ll be reunited with his loved ones after death in an eternal hereafter. Then, he dies. Soren wakes to find himself cast by a God he has never heard of into a Hell whose dimensions he can barely grasp: a vast library he can only escape from by finding the book that contains the story of his life. [From Goodreads]

Note: This was a review copy provided by the author.

Books on religion don’t usually interest me but the description of the book caught my attention. The story is about Soren Johansson and his journey through hell. A rather friendly demon explains that there are many versions of hell. Soren happens to end up in a Luis Borges inspired library of infinite volumes. So, to escape hell, Soren must find the book which contains the story of his life.

Peck’s concise writing pulled me into the story immediately. The curious imagining of hell along with Soren’s musings is quite entertaining. But more than that, the book provoked questions in my own mind about living life and what may come after death.

One quick warning though, if you are easily offended by fictional writing (i.e. – sensitive about your religion) your feathers may get a bit ruffled. It might help to read A Short Stay In Hell with an open mind while reminding yourself that it’s fiction.

A Short Stay In Hell is one of the finest short stories I’ve read.

Filed Under: Contemporary, Fantasy Tagged With: , , , ,

Slaying Blood Suckers with Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter

May 14, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith. Genre: Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Horror (?). Published 2010 by Grand Central Publishing.

Indiana, 1818. Moonlight falls through the dense woods that surround a one-room cabin, where a nine-year-old Abraham Lincoln kneels at his suffering mother’s bedside. She’s been stricken with something the old-timers call “Milk Sickness.”

“My baby boy…” she whispers before dying.

Only later will the grieving Abe learn that his mother’s fatal affliction was actually the work of a vampire.

Say what?!

When I read the summary on Goodreads, I was a little excited about the strange convergence of Abe Lincoln and vampires. But then I wondered if it might be a corny parody. Luckily, it was not.

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter is a serious story.

The story is based on secret journals that Abraham Lincoln kept during his life. How that story is then told to us, the reader, is rather clever…but I’m not going to ruin it by telling you here.

For the most part, we all know the general arc of Lincoln’s life and career. What we didn’t know, until now, is that Abraham Lincoln hunted vampires. He was quite good too. Abe’s vampire obsession is a deep and emotional attachment which makes it feel real. Without that deep seated hatred, I don’t think the story would have come off as authentic.

The characters, both real and fictional, in this story really shine. My favorite was the role that the mysterious Henry Sturges, a vampire, played as he helped Lincoln over the decades. Henry was like the IMF sending Lincoln little Mission: Impossible messages.

The way the author, Seth Grahame-Smith, puts forth the paranormal aspect makes it feel believable. Also, considering the historical significance of Abraham Lincoln’s presidency, the vampire angle is an interesting twist on Civil War history. It helped that the gravity of the historical facts are not lost in the web of fiction.

I definitely recommend this book to fans of serious vampire stories. (No sparkles, no womb-chewing.)

Filed Under: Fantasy, Historical Fiction Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Changelings and Trolls: Switched by Amanda Hocking

May 7, 2012 By 2 Comments

Switched by Amanda Hocking. Genre: Paranormal Romance, Fantasy, Young Adult. Published January 2012 (Paperback) by St. Martin’s Griffin.

When Wendy Everly was six-years-old, her mother was convinced she was a monster and tried to kill her. It isn’t until eleven years later that Wendy finds out her mother might’ve been telling the truth. With the help of Finn Holmes, Wendy finds herself in a world she never knew existed – and it’s one she’s not sure if she wants to be a part of. (Goodreads)

Ever dream about being a princess? Me either. But dreaming about being pulled from reality into an alternate reality where you are really special, find out you have cool powers, and live in a mansion, surrounded by gifted and attractive people is something I think we can all relate to. In this case, finding out she’s really a princess is exactly what happens to Wendy Everly (plus all that other stuff).

Ok, let’s back up a bit.

Wendy is a socially awkward, troubled girl who lives with her aunt and a very caring and overbearing protective brother named Matt. She’s pretty much bumbling through life, barely getting by.

One day she begins to notice a weird guy, Finn, always staring at her. She thinks he’s cute but also weird. He stares. A lot. Like Edward Cullen staring.

Luckily, Finn turns out to be pretty cool.

Finn is what’s known as a tracker. His job in the Trylle world is to hunt down changelings, babies switched at birth, and bring them back to Förening which is their compound/community. Finn’s character is semi-tragic though because his job places him low in Trylle society, making him the forbidden would-be lover. Nevertheless, Wendy has feelings for him and wishes he’d stop being so stubborn about her new found responsibility.

Wendy takes the whole change really well because deep down she knows she’s never fit in well with humans.

Fun Story, Cool Powers

There are a lot of reasons to like Switched (and Torn, too, but I’ll review that later) even for non-target audience readers like me. There’s romance, sure, but Amanda has written it in a way that didn’t make me feel weird for reading it.

There’s also action, mutant-like powers (wind control, precognition, mind control, telekinesis, etc.), and some politicking. I like Amanda’s take on trolls, which is derived from Norwegian lore. They’re different enough culturally to be interesting but similar enough to humans that their existence feels much more believable.

Amanda always has solid pacing in her books and Switched is no different. One thing that helps is that the Trylle compound, while unique, is similar enough that Amanda doesn’t have to spend a lot of time on world-building details. Switched is focused more on emotion, relationships, and character growth. If you enjoy detailed world building then you might be disappointed by this.

Hmm, Two Things

One thing I didn’t like much was the rather abrupt ending which simply begs for the sequel to be on hand so you can keep going. The only real “mission” for Wendy in Switched was to learn about her ethnicity and get through the christening ball. All the other stuff is left for the next two books.

Another thing that bugs me is a character who is a victim, a pawn that everyone moves around. Finn, Tove and others do the fighting, Rhys helps her feel welcome, Matt loves and protects her and Wendy just kind of fumbles around not really being good at anything. Granted, she’s in a new situation but I like a hero I can root for not just a main character that narrates all the cool stuff everyone else is doing. (Note: Torn fixes this. Yay!)

Bonus Story!

I never read the ebook version so I really enjoyed how the book segued into the bonus short story at the end. This helped to take the edge off of being left hanging. The bonus story at the end of Switched is called The Vittra Attacks. It provides a wonderful look at how the Vittra operate. Being a first person POV from Wendy’s perspective, it’s nice to see a different side of things.

I was initially drawn to Amanda’s work out of curiosity after hearing about her success. Since then I’ve evolved from mild interest after reading My Blood Approves (#1), joyful surprise upon reading Hollowland and now solid appreciation of her work with the Trylle Trilogy. Keep on writing ’cause I’m gonna keep on reading!

Thanks for visiting Quest for Books!

Filed Under: Fantasy, Paranormal Romance, Young Adult Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

The Time Weaver by Thomas A. Knight

April 15, 2012 By 2 Comments

The Time Weaver by Thomas A. Knight. Genre: Fantasy. Published October 2011 by DragonWing Publishing.

There are times when you buy a book because it sounds pretty cool and you end up being blown away by how much you enjoy it. That was my experience with The Time Weaver.

“What makes you think I’m going to kill you?”

Seth Alkirk’s 30th birthday turns out to be quite the turning point in his life. First, he can now open a book that’s been locked since his father mysteriously left when he was a kid. Strange things start to happen too. While he’s out with some friends a glass falls…in slow motion. Then he gets attacked. By a freakin’ crazy beast that wants to take him to an evil wizard. Oh noez! Oh yes.

We’re calling it creature X.

This is where things really pick up. A beautiful and skilled warrior named Malia is sent to bring Seth to a kindly arch-magus named Merek. After saving him from a demon-like creature, called a Narshuk, Malia drags Seth (and us along with him) through a rift and into a unique world filled with monsters and magic.

Seth quickly learns that he is far more than a simple code monkey. He is a Time Weaver. This means Seth has control over the flow of time. He can also utilize other elements of nature which make for a powerful array of magical abilities.

Malia is one of my favorite characters. Not only does she just seem cool, she’s strong, beautiful and she’s a Swordmage. What guy wouldn’t like to meet a beautiful Swordmage? In addition to protecting Seth, Malia takes to her new role as teacher. Not surprisingly, Seth has a lot to catch up on regarding Findoor, Merek (the arch-magus), Gladius and others.

“…and with a shift of his hips, he obliged her.”

If your experience with magic is mainly from Harry Potter then you might want to brace yourself. The magic in Time Weaver is both fantastic and brutal. It will literally melt your face off. I love this because it reminds me of my DnD playing days and some of the wicked cool spells in there.

Another great character, and a friend of Seth, is Cedric the Bard. He’s a rougeish bard and I like his playful attitude. Not to mention, he introduces Seth to a dragon – Morganateltheranthumagus. I was really pumped when this happened. Dragons are my favorite fantasy creature. Like I said in my review on Amazon, serious magic + dragons = a happy Tim.

“…can Seth learn to control his powers in time to save both worlds?”

Although the story comes in during a huge battle between the Dark Lord Gladius and Krycin the Time Weaver, Thomas did a great job of grounding the main story in modern times and then pulling us into the fantasy world. Another thing I appreciated was that Thomas didn’t kill the pace of the story by spending excess time describing his world. He gave us enough to make it real and believable and then moved on.

Thomas also nailed a key aspect of the story – great villains. Dark Lord Gladius is a badass but you really hope he gets stomped by Seth. Grian is more of a snake who survives and gains power by deception and strategic opportunism. These guys are a wonderful counter to Seth, Malia, Cedric and Merek.

Another important point is that The Time Weaver is a book that can stand alone. This is critical for books in a series, they still need to be complete stories and not just setup for the next book. Thomas struck a good balance between a satisfying ending and enough left loose ends for the sequel(s).

I love fantasy books. So, for me, deciding to buy The Time Weaver was easy. But I had no idea I would like the story as much as I did. It was one of the first books I finished in 2012 – what a way to kick off the New Year! Thank you Thomas, for writing a great book! I also have to tip my hat to Twitter for connecting me with Thomas because I most likely wouldn’t have heard about the book otherwise.

If you have read The Time Weaver, be sure to leave a comment below and let me know what you think.

Thank you!

Filed Under: Fantasy Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

Feel the Heat in the Devil’s Lair

April 5, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Devil’s Lair by David Wisehart. Genre: Historical Fiction, Fantasy. Published March 2010 by Albedo Publishing.

A thrilling adventure through Dante’s Inferno….

“I’ve battled evil all my life. I’ve wrestled with darkness and demons and monsters beyond measure, in the black forests of Germany and in the troubled hearts of men, for it is there, in the human heart, that evil festers and grows. But evil has a source, and we must find that source: at the bottom of the abyss. We must descend into the Devil’s lair, and penetrate the heart of all evil.”

It is the year of our Lord 1349. The world is dying. The Black Death sweeps through Europe. Apocalypse approaches. The Fourth Horseman rides the Earth…

One hope survives. A vision of the Holy Grail. Stolen by Lucifer, the Grail now lies in the lowest circle of Hell. To save the human race, someone must steal the Grail from the Devil and return it to the world above.

Four pilgrims — a knight, a friar, a poet, and a prophetess — will journey down into Hell to confront their deepest fears…

And the Devil himself. (From Goodreads)

I picked up Devil’s Lair on Amazon rather randomly by looking through the fantasy genre. Since I just bought it on a whim, I didn’t check Goodreads to get the summary you just read up above. All I saw were some enthusiastic quotes. So, I read the Look Inside preview and thought – I like this!

We start out following William of Ockham, the poet Giovanni Boccacio, and Nadja as they search for the knight, Marco da Roma. None of them have met Marco before and their only lead is a vision from Nadja and a charcoal sketch. They eventually find him but Marco turns out to be quite different than what they expected. The group embarks on a bold mission to find the Holy Grail which has been stolen by Lucifer. What’s kind of crazy is that this whole thing – the group coming together, the mission for the grail – is based on a vision, or series of visions, that Nadja has had.

My favorite characters were William and Giovanni and I especially enjoyed their debates. They are the two most knowledgeable in the group and they both have intriguing backgrounds. Nadja is nice enough and you really sympathize with her after she is attacked by a group of thieves. Note: There is a rape scene and while it is not described in extreme detail it may be upsetting for some readers. Marco is probably my least favorite character. We learn very little of him until the last quarter of the book and he’s just kind of…there.

The detail and ambiance of the story transported me to the time period and played like a movie as I read, it was that good. It is a religious story in the sense that it deals with religious subject matter and people of faith but it doesn’t preach. There is a lot of action and drama, some politics and plenty of religious debate.

The journey through hell was really interesting. Once the group descends into hell, we really start to learn about them as individuals. You know how they say, adversity (or stressful situations) reveals your true character, well that is certainly the case here. Although I haven’t read all of Dante’s Inferno, I’m guessing that Devil’s Lair draws heavily on its descriptions of the nine circles of hell. That’s not a bad thing per se, but if you’ve read Inferno then you’ll already know a lot of the scenery. Wisehart does a great job describing the ninth circle of hell and the images my mind created were truly creepy!

My only real problem with the book is that the ending was rather anti-climactic. It was predictable, ended really quickly and when you’re facing Lucifer, I can’t imagine things will go as smoothly as it did for the group.

Nevertheless, Devil’s Lair is a solid piece of work full of mesmerizing detail.

Filed Under: Fantasy, Historical Fiction Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

(Vampires + Ninja) * Awesome = Blood Ninja

March 26, 2012 By 2 Comments

Blood Ninja by Nick Lake. Genre: Fantasy, Historical Fiction. Published 2009 by Simon & Schuster.

A boy named Taro lives a nice but uneventful life in the village of Shirahama. Taro and his best friend Hiro dream of one day becoming samurai, although Taro’s desire is stronger than his friends. Then one night, Taro’s entire world unravels from a seemingly random attack on his family. His father is murdered and Taro has no idea why but he must leave his mother and run away with a mysterious ninja.

Taro’s protector is Shusaku, a master ninja and former samurai that is charged with keeping the boy alive. Shusaku must lead Taro and his loyal friend Hiro across the land to a secret cave where Shusaku’s clan lives and trains. Along the way they make friends, evade samurai, fight ronin and even help rescue a young lady.

Samurai, Ninja and Vampire – oh, my!

Blood Ninja is one of the few times when a seemingly random mashup of character types – vampire and ninja – really come together, while respecting each individually. This is not a lame attempt at humor or a strange Twilight meets Enter The Ninja train wreck.

Author Nick Lake blends the two in such a convincing way that, assuming vampires are real, it actually makes a lot of sense that a vampire would make a great ninja. Both vampire and ninja operate at night, in their own way they each seek blood, and both benefit from secrecy and the element of surprise.

I actually came across this treasure quite randomly. I was on a rare venture into Barnes & Noble to pick up a different book and I found myself browsing the young adult section. The title jumped out at me, the cover made me lustful and the description sealed the deal – I had to buy this book.

Not surprisingly, there is a lot of action. It is all well written and easy to follow while still being quite engaging. Lake wrote the scenes graphic enough to make them realistic but not excessively gory. There is a lot of description and detail about ninja and samurai which is cool. I would have liked to hear more about the vampire aspect as well. Taro has a special ability that enhances his vampirism and one vamp we meet along the journey can see the future. I’m curious what other abilities are out there.

There is a lot of political intrigue, history, culture and religion layered into the story which is nice. Those details do great justice to Japanese culture while also making the story more believable.

Blood Ninja has a strong focus on loyalty and friendship. Hiro and Taro have quite the bromance going on. At times it reminded me of Frodo and Sam in Lord of the Rings, minus the super awkward gazing that happened in Return of the King. Luckily, that’s offset by a potential romance between Taro and girl from the wrong side. I’m sure we’ll see how that plays out in book 2.

It’s funny that at the end of the story, Lake tips his hat to James Clavell’s amazing book – Shogun. I’ve read that book three times, the first time in 6th grade, and it is one of my favorite stories. It was how I learned what decapitation meant… Anyway, reading Blood Ninja reminded of Clavell’s work so enjoying it came easy. No worries though, Lake’s book only weighs in at 369 pages. Not Shogun’s 1,000+.

Two Criticisms

I came to expect one death since it is foreshadowed very directly. I’m rather fond of subtlety especially when it comes to foreshadowing a character death, so, Lake’s direct approach kind of annoyed me. However, my hope is that the death will harden Taro’s resolve and make him take this new-found responsibility more seriously. Before that death, one rather shocking character death didn’t seem entirely justified. It made me feel like that time I ran over a squirrel – half-sad and half-angry. After finishing the book, I can see why things turned out that way because the death becomes a motivator for another character. However, I liked that character so to have it go down that way was…frustrating.

One thing I absolutely did not like was the excessive use of italics (in the paperback version). Sometimes whole chapters are italicized which gets tiresome to read. Coming to a new chapter should be sufficient to let me know that the narrator has changed characters. Other than short, internal dialogue and sparsely used emphasis in normal dialogue, there is really no need for italics.

Overall, I am looking forward to picking up the sequel and continuing the series*. I love the setting of feudal Japan. I have always been a fan of vampires. Plus, who doesn’t think ninja are badass? Combine them all together, shake (not stir) and add a slice of political intrigue and you have Blood Ninja.

* Yes, I did just use italics. What?

Filed Under: Fantasy, Historical Fiction Tagged With: , , , , , ,