Alistair Grim's Odd Aquaticum by Gregory Funaro

Alistair Grim's Odd Aquaticum by Gregory Funaro
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Summary:
"When Grubb, an orphan and runaway chimney sweep, entered the wondrous world of the Odditorium, his life changed forever. Apprenticed to the mechanical marvel’s strange proprietor, Alistair Grim, Grubb unfortunately must settle into his new position on the lam, as the whole of London is convinced that Alistair Grim is a villain bent on mass destruction. Grim, however, has come up with a plan to expose the real villain: Prince Nightshade, a wicked necromancer who wants the Odditorium’s power source for himself. With the evil prince hot on their trail, Grim, Grubb and the rest of the Odditorium's crew embark on a perilous adventure to find the legendary sword Excalibur: the only weapon capable of penetrating Nightshade's magical suit of armor. As expected, their quest turns out to be anything but ordinary. Not only can the Odditorium fly, but it can also swim! And so the crew battens down the hatches and sets off on an underwater voyage to the otherworldly realm of Avalon, home to Excalibur. Along the way, they must battle a banshee assassin, sea monsters, and a witch who seeks revenge on Alistair Grim for stealing her magical objects. But that’s not all. Unbeknownst to Grubb and the others, their fate has been written in an ancient Avalonian prophecy—a prophecy that holds the key to a destiny not even Alistair Grim could have possibly imagined."

This is a story about a boy whose father is a magician and they live in this flying magical base in the 1800's fighting off evil villains. Anyone who knows my reading tastes knows this is right up my alley so naturally I wanted to give it a read.

I really, really wanted to like this book, but I just couldn't get into it at all. I read about 1/3 of the book before I gave up.

Firstly I struggled with the language being spoken. I know it was supposed to be in period but honestly it was so hard to follow and get into the rhythm of. It really didn't work for me.

Secondly I didn't know this was the second book in the series so there was a lot of stuff being said in reference to the last book. Eventually the story in this book started and it was ok but I spent most of the first chapter not having a clue as to what was going on.

Lastly I just wasn't feeling the characters at all. I am not sure why but I couldn't engage with them or their storylines.

I suspect 10 year old boys who read this will enjoy the story, but for me I just couldn't get into it. Which was a shame as I really had high hopes for this book.

The Aeronauts Windlass by Jim Butcher

Rating: Loved it!

Series: The Cinder Spires (Book 1)

Hardcover: 640 pages

Publisher: Roc; 1st edition (September 29, 2015)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 0451466802

ISBN-13: 978-0451466808

Summary:

Since time immemorial, the Spires have sheltered humanity, towering for miles over the mist-shrouded surface of the world. Within their halls, aristocratic houses have ruled for generations, developing scientific marvels, fostering trade alliances, and building fleets of airships to keep the peace. Captain Grimm commands the merchant ship, Predator. Fiercely loyal to Spire Albion, he has taken their side in the cold war with Spire Aurora, disrupting the enemy’s shipping lines by attacking their cargo vessels. But when the Predator is severely damaged in combat, leaving captain and crew grounded, Grimm is offered a proposition from the Spirearch of Albion—to join a team of agents on a vital mission in exchange for fully restoring Predator to its fighting glory. And even as Grimm undertakes this dangerous task, he will learn that the conflict between the Spires is merely a premonition of things to come. Humanity’s ancient enemy, silent for more than ten thousand years, has begun to stir once more. And death will follow in its wake…

It is no secret I am a big Jim Butcher fan and haven't disliked anything he has written to date, and he has written a new series which is set in a steam punk universe. Which will have you immersed in a rollicking fun adventure story. This series is firmly steam punk and interestingly this is a genre that in theory I like but in reality have rarely found a book that I can truly enjoy. This book (and hopefully series) reminded me why I like the steam punk genre.

This story had an old style rollicking adventure sea faring adventure feel to it. Think Disney's "Treasure Planet" movie and you get an idea of the feel of this book. The story has a lot of action on both land and in the sky but the most impressive battle scenes were between the vessels in the sky. They had the feel of old sailing ship battles, with the excitement and tactics they would use, except set in the sky. One of Butcher's strengths is writing excellent battle scenes and the air ship battles will not disappoint.

This has a different feel to Butcher's Harry Dresden series. Firstly this story is told from several different characters points of view. Secondly there are no supernatural beings like vampires and such (a talking cat or two and a weird spider like creature that is pretty deadly but that's about it). I actually enjoyed all the main characters and what they brought to the story. The cats were the stars though, just the best. Butcher captured a cat's thinking and behaviour pretty accurately.

The world building is done very well with the right balance of action, pacing and development. You don't feel like you have had a heap of information dumped on you or that the story has slowed down due to explanation's. The world is interesting and fascinating with people living in "Spires" which seem to be massive cone shaped cities built on top of each other, with the world outside being dangerous and inhospitable to humans (but not weird vicious creatures), there are also airships which seem to be the main mode of travel, and magic well a bit of magic (talking cats and crystals not wizards dueling).

I just enjoyed everything about this book from the action, to the humour, to the fight scenes, and the talking cats. This series could easily become another firm favourite of mine and I am excited to see where this series goes.

Elemental: The First (Primord #1) by Alexandra May

Rating: 3 out of 5
Title: Elemental: The First
Author: Alexandra Ma
Series: Book 1
Format: Kindle Edition
File Size: 509 KB
Print Length: 275 pages
Page Numbers Source ISBN: 1463708343
Publisher: Pauma Publishing (9 July 2011)
Language: English
ASIN: B005C1R1HM
ISBN-10: 1463708343
ISBN-13: 978-1463708344

Book Summary
Rose Frost is special. Her family has spent the last 16 years trying to hide her from the world. But now only her estrange grandmother can help her and she moves in to her grandmothers house near the tiny English town of Warminster. But then strange, terrifying and vivid dreams haunt her sleep and her migraines are getting more and more frequent. As if they were not troubles enough she has feelings for two local boys and is trying not to get on the wrong side of the local kids. But when her friend's father disappears it is up to her and her friends to find out what is going on and solve the mysterious disappearances and maybe solve the mystery that is Rose Frost.

Initial Thoughts
This is a hard book for me to review as I did like aspects of it but disliked other aspects. I have written and re-written this review over and over not happy with either version of my review. Having read the book in its entirety I think a significant point needs to be clarified upfront before someone reads this book; its part one. The ending is a to be continued. I strongly suspect if I had known this I would have enjoyed reading the book a lot better, but at the time I didn't so my review is a little on the negative side.

What I Liked
I found the premise interesting and refreshing for the young adult sci-fi fantasy romance genre (is that a genre? it is now). Rose has a really cool ability and there is a secret society doing battle for a long time. There is also super powers, aliens and romance (though the summary implies it is more of a fantasy book) which all come together for a fascinating story.

The world the author built is great. There is a great story surrounding  Halika Dacome and I wished we had learned about it sooner and explored it further (I am guessing that is where book two comes into it. I hope).

What I Disliked
I found the book to be quite slow to start with. Nothing really happened till about chapter four. Even half way through the book Rose and her Grandma had not had “that talk” about Rose’s abilities and the secret security surrounding her. They were supposed to have this talk virtually the second day Rose arrived but it never seemed to happen.

My biggest gripe with the book was the feeling that the relationships and even characters were “forced”  to fit the story. Rose in particular had really strange reactions to new friends and people, she acted like they had been best friends for years and got super offended and mad when they didn't trust her when she had only just met the person.

The two biggest offending scenes were (potential spoiler but I kept the information vague):

1. Where Rose had just met two new people, then precedes to have a major tanty and threaten to walk out because they didn’t trust her with their deepest darkest secret.
2. When Rose meets the acknowledged toxic girl from school who already hates Rose’s guts, for the first time. Toxic chick tells Rose she “almost got it on with the guy she likes” who is Morgan the guy who is so clearly into Rose. But the worst part was Rose believes her! Even cries about Morgans betrayal? OMG seriously? You would believe a girl who you have only just met, and had been warned to stay away from because she is one nasty over the guy who you have spent some time with and even spent the night with (not in that way)?

Those two scenes really had me struggling to believe the reactions of Rose and her friends. Especially the last scene, I wanted to just reaching into the book and slap the girl silly. There were a few other smaller incidences but they didn’t bother me as much as those two incidences.

In Conclusion
You might think I would say this is a terrible book but it isn't. It had faults for sure but it wasn’t terrible and I did enjoy the mythology the author created. Also I am pretty sure if I had known upfront this was a part one book I would have felt a little differently about the book.

I think for its target audience, young teenage girls, this would be a hit.

This copy of Elemental: The First was provided by Netgalley and in no way influenced my review.

Extras
I have added some images of Warminster to my Pinterest Board - Images Relating to Fiction.

Hex Hall Trilogy by Rachel Hawkins

Rating 3.5 out of 5

"Three years ago, Sophie Mercer discovered that she was a witch. It's gotten her into a few scrapes. Her non-gifted mother has been as supportive as possible, consulting Sophie's estranged father--an elusive European warlock--only when necessary. But when Sophie attracts too much human attention for a prom-night spell gone horribly wrong, it's her dad who decides her punishment: exile to Hex Hall, an isolated reform school for wayward Prodigium, a.k.a. witches, faeries, and shapeshifters. By the end of her first day among fellow freak-teens, Sophie has quite a scorecard: three powerful enemies who look like supermodels, a futile crush on a gorgeous warlock, a creepy tagalong ghost, and a new roommate who happens to be the most hated person and only vampire student on campus. Worse, Sophie soon learns that a mysterious predator has been attacking students, and her only friend is the number-one suspect. As a series of blood-curdling mysteries starts to converge, Sophie prepares for the biggest threat of all: an ancient secret society determined to destroy all Prodigium, especially her."

So begins the Hex Hall series. We follow Sophie through the trilogy as she learns about her world and unravels.

There were a couple of niggly things that were more character driven then anything else. In book two Sophie goes to live with her dad. Now in book one it is clearly stated Sophie has never seen her dad, never spoken to him and maybe got a birthday card. Yet when they are thrown together there is no angst at all. So a 16 year old girl who is having a pretty rough time, gets thrown in with her estranged father and there is not one single "where the hell were you these past 16 years?" moment or a "I hate you, your didn't want to be my father so why start now" moment? It just felt a little off that all they had was a strange but civil chat in the garden then were bestie besties?

A similar event happened in book three when Sophie meets her cousins. One absolutely hates her and blames her for everything that went wrong with the family. Sophie spends very little time in their company, and bar one joint fight scene against a werewolf and a word from the other cousin which roughly went "hey lighten up on her she is cool", I could see no reason that would explain hate filled cousins complete lack of hate at the end of the book (and dare I say it she likes Sophie?). It just didn't jive for me.

Final niggle was some random loose narrative threads. It is never really explained WHY Sophie's parents stayed apart for so long. Yes reasons were given but they didn't seem enough to keep them apart for 16 years? Also there was this big prophecy hinted at for Izzy yet we never find out what it is EVER. They mention it about three times and it seems significant but then that's it we never hear about it again. So why mention it in the first place?? (Unless the author is going to do another series based on Izzy? which would be cool because I liked Izzy).

I did NOT like the convenient resolution of the love triangle. But this probably because the guy I liked for Sophie didn't win. But having said that it just felt well convenient, there was no emotional impact, because really through the three books its clear as day who is going to win her heart as the author didn't really invest in contender number 2.

Ok so bad stuff out of the way now on to the good.

Sophie is a fun character and I liked her snark (which wasn't bitchy snark) and spunk. Her best friend Jenna is a cute vampire who compliments Sophie's character very well. The other supporting characters are good as well fulfilling their roles well.

This series was still awesome. I loved it. Devoured it in about a week. Which for me is pretty freaking amazing these days as I rarely have time (or make time) to sit and read like that. I really enjoyed the books pacing and humour and even though I noticed all of the above niggles, at the time of reading I didn't care. Which for me is a big thumbs up, if an author can get me to keep reading even after I notice something that irks me then it is all good.

I would recommend this series to anyone who likes the genre.

Tiffany Aching Series by Terry Pratchett

Rating: 5 out of 5

Summary
The Tiffany Aching is a young apprentice witch in Terry Pratchetts young adult series. She lives in a sheep growing region on the Discworld called The Chalk, is an expert cheese maker, and a witch. She is smart, kind, practical, and a fast learner. This series follows her growing up and learning to be a witch and an adult.

We first meet Tiffany in The Wee Free Men age 9 living on her family's farm and working hard making cheese. When her brother is kidnapped by the faerie queen she goes on an adventure to rescue him with her new friends the Nac Mac Feegle.

Her story continues into A Hat Full Of Sky and we see 11 year old Tiffany living in Lancre  as an apprentice witch to Miss Level when Tiffany learns to borrow and "exit" her body she finds a dark creature is waiting, ready to take over her body. Then things go really wrong.

The in Wintersmith 13 year old Tiffany is in her work experience phase of being an apprentice witch and she has a problem, the Wintersmith has developed a crush on her and he wants Tiffany to stay with him forever in Winter.

Finally in I Shall Wear Midnight Tiffany has completed her apprenticeship and now lives back in her home town as the resident witch for the Chalk. But a terrible creature is hunting her down and if he wins it will mean the destruction of witches in Discworld.

So that is the four books in a nutshell.

The Characters
Tiffany is a wonderful character, she does "sound" a lot older then the average girl her age but this is explained by saying a witch does tend to be older then her peers due to the life ecperiences she has even by the age of 16. Even so, a smart intelligent 13 year old girl is still going to notice boys and get giggly. Tiffany doesn't really do giggly. But she still makes silly mistakes as anyone would do as a teen and learning. She goes from a world where she had very few friends and was an outcast, to a world where she is accepted, has friends and is challenged.

But having said that I think she is a fantastic role model for young girls and very relatable. Well I would have related to her as a teen :)

The Nac Mac Feegles usually steal the show (and everything else around the show including the audience). They are the biggest source of humour in these books and are the other main characters who are with Tiffany through thick and thin in the series. I love the Nac Mac Feegles and would love to have some of them in my life. At the very least they would make you smile, oh and you are not really supposed to understand them fully. I wonder sometimes, briefly, if Terry Pratchett writes the Nac Mac Feegles lines when drunk.

Other characters worth really noting come from the main Discworld series appear over the course of the books make an appearance. Mostly other witches such as Granny Weatherwax and Nanny Ogg. But we also meet Captain Carrot, Angua and Wee Mad Arthur (a Nac Mac Feegle raised as a Gnome and living in the cit as a officer of the watch).

Story Development
I liked the way Pratchett took Tiffany through the series. It happens logically and she doesnt miraculously gain a power or knowledge for no apparent reason. In each book there is a lesson Tiffany learns. In Book 1 she learns to do what needs to be done; Book 2 she learns about the responsibility of power; Book 3 she learns about consequences of actions (and owning up and fixing them), and book 4 that you need to balance and treat people with respect.

There is a strong theme about working hard, friendship, common sense and believing in yourself. The witches in the Discworld are great problem solvers and believe in giving things a crack at yourself.

There is no "slow" book in this series. No book that left me thinking "well that book really didn't add any value to the series". The books do get darker as the books progress but never get really scary. The darkness or rather seriousness of the books reflect Tiffany's struggles and challenges as well as her growing up.

Just a short note book four does deal with domestic violence, suicide, child abuse, infanticide, mob justice and murder (the first four in the first couple of chapters). While all very serious topics I felt the dealt with in a way that would raise this issues without completely terrifying the teenager. But if your child is younger then 16, you may want to have a think about waiting for them till they are older or have a discussion with them about these topics (I would also suggest reading it yourself to gauge how you should approach it). It is not very confronting as Pratchett doesn't go into massive detail but it is there and it is discussed between Tiffany and her dad.

I Shall Wear Midnight has a wonderful ending which really wrapped up the series. It was both an ending and a beginning. Usually I hate epilogues to a series as they rarely add value to the series and ruin an otherwise awesome ending (Harry Potter series and Hunger Games series I am looking at you), but this epilogue didn't make me feel that way. I thought it rounded off the over all ending very well, plus it wasn't soppy, or over done. I loved it in short.

Future of the Series
I have no idea if Terry Pratchett will write any more about Tiffany Aching. I really hope he does even if he turns it into a proper Discworld book (as in part of the adult main series). We got a fascinating glimpse into Tiffany's future and I want to know more about her!

Overall
I am totally biased as I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, Terry Practhett. The man can do no wrong in my eyes. Having said that this is still a wonderful series and I would recommend this as a great starter series for young (or even new to Practhett), soon to be Pratchett fans. Even girls aged between 9-16 who love magic and fantasy will also no doubt love this series.

Quotes

“Even if it's not your fault, it's your responsibility.” ― Terry Pratchett, A Hat Full of Sky

“I'm trying to have a moment o' existential dreed here, right? Crivens, it's a puir lookout if a man canna feel the chilly winds o' fate lashing aroound his netheres wi'out folks telling him he's deid, eh?” ― Terry Pratchett, A Hat Full of Sky

“Whut's the plan, Rob?" said one of them. "Okay, lads, this is what we'll do. As soon as we see somethin', we'll attack it. Right?" This caused a cheer. "Ach, 'tis a good plan," said Daft Wullie.” ― Terry Pratchett, The Wee Free Men

“You’d better tell me what you know, toad,” said Tiffany. “Miss Tick isn’t here. I am.” “Another world is colliding with this one,” said the toad. “There. Happy now? That’s what Miss Tick thinks. But it’s happening faster than she expected. All the monsters are coming back.” “Why?” “There’s no one to stop them.” There was silence for a moment. “There’s me,” said Tiffany.” ― Terry Pratchett, The Wee Free Men

“I’m not superstitious. I’m a witch. Witches aren’t superstitious. We are what people are superstitious of.” ― Terry Pratchett, Wintersmith

“Evil begins when you begin to treat people as things.” ― Terry Pratchett, I Shall Wear Midnight: A Story Of Discworld

“Oh, I feel very angry a lot of the time," said Tiffany, "but I just put it away somewhere until I can do something useful with it.” ― Terry Pratchett, I Shall Wear Midnight: A Story Of Discworld

“I know it’s not the right thing to say to a lady, miss, but you are sweating like a pig!" "My mother always said that horses sweat, men perspire, and ladies merely glow…" "Is that so? Well, miss, you are glowing like a pig!” ― Terry Pratchett, I Shall Wear Midnight: A Story Of Discworld

Graceling (Graceling Realm #1) by Kristin Cashore

Rating: 4 out of 5
Reading Level: Teen
File Size: 611 KB
Print Length: 481 pages
Page Numbers Source ISBN: 015206396X
Publisher: Gollancz (November 20, 2008)
Sold by: Hachette Book Group
Language: English
ASIN: B002VCR03A

Graceling is set in a mythological word where some individuals have special powers. These people are called Gracelings and are marked by the colours of their eyes. Gracelings are feared and used as weapons and tools by the Kings that rule the lands of this world.

Katsa is graced with killing which manifested when she was 8 years old and as a result was used as her kings thug to strike fear and terror into the hearts of his enemies, and subjects.

What I liked
Katsa is likeable and fun to read. Despite her terrible Grace she is a gentle soul who cares deeply about her friends. One thing I liked is that she is both confident and insecure, interesting and flawed. On one hand she is this amazing fighter yet on the other fails to notice that a guy likes her. As you could imagine with her Grace she has not had the best life so she does not always have the most optimistic view on people sometimes, however she can still show a criminal kindness which I think say's a lot about her as a character.

A strength of her character is her reliance on herself. She is an independent woman who is smart, confident and physically strong, admittedly her grace helps but also it is her character. This is also a flaw discussed later but I found it refreshing to see a teen fantasy book which didn't have a simpering idiot as the main character.

The first half of this story sucked me in and I wanted to know more. I kept reading and reading till the middle. Then it got a tad slow and teen romancey, which is fine, but to me didn't add much to the over all story. Then the story picked up again and I forgot about the slow boring bit in the middle. The majority of the story was fast paced action. Cashore can write some pretty good action scenes.

The world created is a varied and interesting one. The reader got to learn parts of it through Katsa and in this way I think she was perfect as the point of view to introduce the reader to the world. Katsa had not travelled beyond her own lands so the ways of other people and cultures were revealed through her and as a result came across feeling natural, not like you were having a tonne of information dumped on you.

What I didn't like
The "modern" feel of her character did not really sit well with the story as a whole. I am not sure why, but it just felt off to me. I am afraid it is not something I can put my finger on other then some of the views Katsa held and things she said just didn't vibe with my mental picture of her through out the book. While I am glad she wasn't a simpering idiot at the same time Katsa's views just didn't vibe with her world. At least for me it didn't.

Also then ending seemed a little bit of a let down. I suspect that the author will revisit these characters and elaborate more on events after this book in her upcoming 3rd book (or perhaps later in the series). But after all the action and drama leading up to the end the actual book ending felt rather flat.

Overall
The book was great and would happily recommend it just about anyone.

However  please note there is a big theme which is reiterated over and over about no marriage, no kids, use of contraception. There is a reason for it (revealed in the book) but nether-the-less it is there. This might be a big problem for some, and I have seen some very negative reviews or comments in regards to this on Goodreads and Amazon.  There is also some intimacy scenes which for me were rather tame but given the other themes this might be a bit much for some. This is just a friendly warning for those who object to these themes or find them offensive.

Quotes

“I'm not going to wear a red dress," she said. "It would look stunning, My Lady," she called. She spoke to the bubbles gathered on the surface of the water. "If there's anyone I wish to stun at dinner, I'll hit him in the face.”  

“What she really loved was to hang over the edge and watch the bow of the ship slice through the waves. She loved it especially when the waves were high and the ship rose and fell, or when it was snowing and the flakes stung her face.”

Ghost Story (Harry Dresden Book 13) by Jim Butcher

Rating: 4 out of 5
Format: Kindle Edition
File Size: 793 KB
Print Length: 497 pages
ISBN: 1841497614
Publisher: Hachette Digital (July 28, 2011)
Sold by: Hachette Book Group
Language: English
ASIN: B0057MLQWW

 Ghost Story is the latest instalment in the Harry Dresden series. In the last book Changes we were left with a cliff hanger ending. Which will make this review very short and vague as I do not want to spoil it for people who have not yet read Changes. But the events from Changes impact directly on this book.

I loved the development of Harry, Molly, Karrin, and Butters. Good or bad all the main characters in Harry’s life have been deeply effected by the events in Changes. The time between Changes and Ghost Story (Ghost Story is set 6 months after Changes) has seen some major changes with the main characters, and most of those changes are bad. In all honesty the only character who seemed to be improved was Butters, but he was not involved in the final smack down of Changes so that maybe why. I really liked Butters in this book (I have liked him in the other books as well), he really seems to have come into his own. The strength of this book I feel is the character development.

The usual Harry Dresden story elements are all there and are enjoyable but the focus of this book is Harry and him having a serious self reflection. While this was happening it didn’t feel forced or a gimmick, it blended well with the story and will hopefully provide a new direction for the series. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and if you like the series you will no doubt already have this in your to be read book pile.

No LOL Cat review today (sorry) but found this clip of Jim Butcher reading an excerpt from the first chapter. Enjoy!

Side Jobs: Stories from the Dresden Files by Jim Butcher

Rating 4 out of 5
Format: Kindle Edition
File Size: 685 KB
Print Length: 432 pages
Page Numbers Source ISBN: 184149920X
Publisher: Hachette Digital (April 14, 2011)
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services
Language: English
ASIN: B004SBMJQ0

 Side Jobs is a collection of short stories written by Jim Butcher over the life of the Harry Dresden Series. At the start of each story there is a short blurb from Butcher who talks about how the story came about, influences, and where the story sits in the Dresden world. There are some stories that were previously printed in anthologies which included a novella from Thomas’ point of view. But there were also some previously unpublished stories, including one set after the events in Changes.

Each story adds to the Harry Dresden world, insights into the main characters, and into his relationships with some of the characters. The majority also do not give away anything about what has happened in the series, however there are three stories that do. Though it isn’t necessary it would be a good idea to read this collection of stories either singularly (at the appropriate moments in the Dreseden series, each story tells the reader where in the series the stories fell) OR all of them at the end of Changes. The final story takes place after Changes and it will definitely ruin the book if you have not read it.

Most of the stories are just good fun. There is not a lot of depth or substance. But there are some with real depth, that gives real insights into the main support characters in Dresdens life. The Warrior is Michael centric; Backup is all about Thomas; Something Borrowed focuses on Billy and Georgia; and the story called Aftermath set after Changes features Karrin and Billy. These stories you really do want to read in order of the series. I actually like the Michael story the best.

The story order is as follows:
Vignette.......................Between Death Masks (5) and Blood Rites (6)
Something Borrowed.......Between Dead Beat (7) and Proven Guilty (8)
It's My Birthday, Too.....Between White Knight (9) and Small Favor (10) Heorot..........................Between White Knight (9) and Small Favor (10)
Day Off.........................Between Small Favor (10) and Turn Coat (11) Backup..........................Between Small Favor (10) and Turn Coat (11)
The Warrior...................Between Small Favor (10) and Turn Coat (11)
Last Call.....................Between Small Favor (10) and Turn Coat (11)
Love Hurts....................Between Small Favor (10) and Turn Coat (11)
Aftermath.....................After Changes

I don't really want to say anything more as I will probably give some of the story lines away. If you are a fan of the series then this collection of short stories is a must. I really did enjoy them all.

Changes (Harry Dresden Series Book 12) by Jim Butcher

Rating 5 out of 5
Format: Kindle Edition
File Size: 727 KB
Print Length: 448 pages
Page Numbers Source ISBN: 1841497134
Publisher: Hachette Digital (April 8, 2010)
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services
Language: English
ASIN: B003CUDOYE

Changes is the 12th book in the Harry Dresden series. I hate reviewing books in as series because you can't really talk about what you WANT to talk about, otherwise you ruin it for someone else. A Buckeye Girl Reads, recently did a LOLz Cats review for the book Hard Bitten, which gave me inspiration to give it a try. It was a fun and a refreshing way to review a book in a series. Thanks buckeye girl!

So I got my hands on the 12th Harry Dresden book and I was all kinds of happy! It has been awhile since I have read a Harry Dresden book for a lot of reasons but none that are worth talking about. I must confess I love this series and have been hooked from the very first book Storm Front. So needless to say, like a chocoholic who has been denied chocolate for a day getting their chocolate back; I was pretty excited to delve back into the world of Harry and be reacquainted with all my favorite characters. If you have not yet discovered the world of Harry Dresden then get your hands on Storm Front as soon as possible, you will not regret it!

For those who don’t know Harry is a wizard. His adventures started way back in Storm Front when he was a lowly private eye helping people with supernatural type problems, at that time he also consulted with the police to supplement his income. Fast forward 12 books and Harry rarely gets to do basic detective work anymore. He works on bigger picture stuff like fighting for man kind, his friends, and sometimes saving the planet.

So this book follows the usual Harry adventure formula of non stop thrill ride. It careens from one battle to another with barely a pause. The level of battle does seem to vary from mundane to titan throw downs. The action is fast paced and seems to have somehow been ramped up compared to the earlier books. The last battle scene can only be described as EPIC.

I think though this was the first time we see Harry really struggle, both mentally, physically, and even magically. This time he couldn’t just beat his chest and say “I am Harry. I am here to smite thee evil bastard”. It did make a nice change to show that Harry had limits, and how he dealt with this realization. Don’t get me wrong I normally love Harry’s sense of humour, witty repartee, and absolute belief that he will win; but it was also a refreshing character development to see Harry tested. What would he do going up against an opponent bigger, badder, stronger, and quicker witted then him?

This book is aptly named as Changes, there are some pretty big revelations that happen in this book (in the brief down times from annihilating baddies). A lot of previous story threads seem to fall into place, or make sense and we get to learn new things. I will be interested to see how these revelations change the direction of Harry’s story, his friends, and the over arching story of Harry saving the world. Are these good or bad changes? I guess we need to wait and find out.

Then we get to the ending and......OMG. It’s all you can say really. I got to the end and thought “are you kidding me? You stop there? You are leaving me hanging like this?”. I literally could not handle it and my finger automatically hovered over the "purchase" button in the kindle store, so I could buy and download the next book immediately. But I took some deep breaths, stepped away from my ebook reader, and said “focus, your world will not end if you do not start reading the next book immediately”. If you guessed that was an epic fail on my behalf you would be right. I now have the next book on my ereader ready to go. I have zero patience.

Edit - Apparently I do not have book 13. Looks like I got the Anthologies book Side Job, I didn't read the blurb closely as I didn't want to ruin the book for myself. Book 13 is due out later this year. Oh well at least I have the anthologies to tide me over. Boo :(

If you are a fan of Harry Dresden this is a must read for the big story revelations alone. All the usual ingredients that you love about the series are here and you will not be disappointed.

Extras

Not sure if the Harry Dresden Series is for you? Check out the Harry Dresden series sample chapters at Jim Butchers website.

Magyk (Septimus Heap Book 1) By Angie Sage

Rating: 3 out of 5
Reading level: Ages 9-12
Paperback: 608 pages
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books; First Harper Trophy Edition edition (March 14, 2006)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 9780060577339
ISBN-13: 978-0060577339
ASIN: 0060577339

First Sentence: "Silas Heap puled his cloak tightly around him against the snow"

At birth Septimus Heap dies. His father that same night discovers a new born baby girl dumped in the wintry woods. Ten years later the evil Supreme Custodian orders young Jenna's death as it is revealed she is really the missing princess.

This is a charming little story which never really delves to deeply into the issues it covers. There is nothing really scary or upsetting. It was filled with humor and adventure and was a fun read all round. There was nothing surprising about the story. The author did do a good job of not revealing if it was Boy 142 or the evil apprentice as being the missing Septimus. But you knew one of them was going to be the boy.

One thing I did not like was the multiple points of view. There were about ten different points of view and I struggled sometimes to see the relevance of the characters view the reader got. I just did not think some of the points of views added to the story. Some of the views I could see were there more for humor sake then plot relevance, for instance when the story was briefly told from the dogs point of view. But others just annoyed me more then anything.

I enjoyed the characters of Boy 142, Jemma and even Marsha. Boy 142 and Jemma have potential to grow into very interesting teenage characters as they are very strong willed and have a good sense of right and wrong. Marsha is just good for comedy relief. The fuss she made of her purple leather boots reminded me of far to many people I now.

The book is cute and funny. It would resonate a lot better I think with the age group it is aimed at the 9-12 bracket. The series is popular and there are a few books now in the series. I nice book to introduce a young reader to the world of fantasy.

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

Rating: 5 out of 5
Hardcover: 304 pages
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC; Children's ed edition (20 Oct 2008)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0747569010
ISBN-13: 978-0747569015


Opening Sentence: "There was a hand in the darkness, and it held a knife."

In the dead of the night a family is murdered and Nobody (Bod) Owens is lucky enough to escape his family's fate, hiding in a nearby Graveyard. He is taken in and raised by the inhabitants of the Graveyard who just happen to be ghosts, with the mysterious not-dead-not-alive Silas as his Guardian. However the man named Jack is out there, waiting, hunting the boy named Nobody.

I am not a huge Neil Gaiman fan. The only book of his in the past I have liked is Good Omens which he co-wrote with Terry Pratchett. I have preferred the movies of his books to the actual book, weird I know. However I was pleasantly surprised with this book. It was fantastic from the start.

Nobody Owens is a delightful character and very realistic. He makes mistakes and that just makes him more endearing. Silas is fantastic, very dark and brooding, but you can see he cares for the boy. Mr and Mrs Owens are kind, caring, and loving. But the girl Scarlett I did not like at all. Couldn't tell you why exactly, to me she just wasn't very nice.

The ending was quite sad, and it didn't go the way I thought it would after what was said in the book. Vague and cryptic I know but I don't want to give it away. It was touching and a nice way to end but still I felt a little let down. Like I had asked for sprinkles on my ice cream and didn't get it. The ice cream is still good but there are no sprinkles. Basically it boils down to I don't understand why the baddies were so hot to trot to kill Bod, even though it was explained, for me it didn't gel with what was previously written.

The book while being Young Adult would probably not suit a child younger then a twelve year old. It deals with death and murder and while not graphic you are left in no doubt as to what is happening. Its no more traumatic/graphic I think then Harry Potter. But it is very dark in its humor and story telling. There are no cutesy fairies, lovable unicorns, or adorable talking animals. You get ghosts, ghouls, and other nasties. Things do not always work out great, and the hero has faults.

All that being said the book is touching, sweet and clever. It is not perfect which is great, makes the story almost believable. It is an addictive read and you will want to know what happens next, so make sure you clear your schedule for this book. I really enjoyed the book and the ending only bothered me after the fact when I had time to think about it.

I would highly recommend this book.

Other Reviews
If you want some other reviews check out these great ones from some fellow book bloggers
The Eclectic Reader
Books and Musings From Oz
From My Bookshelf
Ticket to Anywhere
Polishing Mud Balls

First Lords Fury (Codex Alera Book 6) by Jim Butcher

Rating: 5 out of 5

Tavi returns for the final installment of the Codex Alera series. As the title suggests Tavi is now the First Lord and is returning to Alera, with the aide of the Canim, to help fight the Vord who are ravaging the country. Alera is in ruins and the remaining population are cornered and fighting desperately to survive.

The Alera series has been a good fantasy series by Jim Butcher who is best known for his urban fantasy series Harry Dresden. This is not a heavy fantasy like JR Tolkien.

All the characters from the series have returned for this installment and their individual story threads are wrapped up nicely by the end of the book.

The story its self is more focused on the war then previous books. Also Tavi's role as a leader and idea's man is pushed to the limits. There were some amazing battle scenes especially when the furies are used.

A good fun book that is not to heavy going. If you enjoyed the previous five books then this will tie the series off for you nicely.

Turn Coat by Jim Butcher (Dresden Series Book 11)

Rating 5 out 5

Note: If you have not read the other ten books there maybe small (tiny) spoilers in this post. I have done my best not to reveal any major plot developments or give anything for those who have read the series but not this book yet.

Harry is back. When Warden Morgan collapses bloodied and bruised begging Harry for assistance in proving his innocence, Harry accepts. Only thing is Morgan is accused of killing a White Council member and the evidence is pretty strong. Not only that but there is a super nasty creature in town that seems to be focused on Harry. Can Harry prove Morgans innocence in time before he is sentenced to death?

Wow another roller coaster of a book. While a lot of other series start getting a little stale by around book ten The Dresden series I feel is one of the few exceptions. This one is pretty much explosive from start to finish with only a few moments to catch your breath,and have a laugh before Harry is off destroying something new (to be fair he is usually only destroying something to save someone).

“Up until that moment, I’d been labouring under the misapprehension that the splitting pain in my skull would be the worst thing to happen to me today”

This book focuses more on the White Council and we learn a lot about the inner workings and the politics surrounding the Council. For me the White Council seems to operate somewhere between a Democracy and Monarchy from what I could see, so would that make it a Demoarchy? The White Council is not as simple as I first thought it was.

There was no Michael in this story which is disappointing. I really like Michael and thought he was the ying to Harry’s yang. Molly though seems to be developing nicely and will be an interesting character over the next books. As always Moose is there being a strong and silent presence, while occasionally being the smartest being in the room. I really enjoyed learning more about Morgan, that perhaps he is not completely the mean bastard he seems to be, or at the very least there is a reason why he is.

Finally the ending left you thinking "Oh my leaping gragoyles in red knickerbockers!". Okay maby not quite that phrase, but you get the picture. I am not kidding the ending was probably the best of the whole series.

I am not sure if Jim Butcher has every book planned out (a la JK Rowling) or wether he has a bigger picture that he ties his stories into. Either way if he can keep up the same enjoyment level I do not think I will ever get tired of this series.

Extras

For a sample chapter of Turn Coat head over to jim-butcher.com . You can also find sample chapters to all his books.

Other Reviews

Ticket to Anywhere

Fablehaven: Rise of the Evening Star by Brandon Mull

Rating: 5 out of 5

I currently have a personal ban on library books while I worked on Mt TBR however when Rise of the Evening Star came in I dropped everything and disappeared into the books depths with a contented sigh. I loved the first book in the Fablehaven series, which I read before I started blogging so I do not have a review here. However if you wish to read a review from my bookshelf has a great review here and is the reason I picked up Fablehaven in the first place.

In the second book Kendra and Seth return to Fablehaven to help their Grandparents over summer break. The sanctuary which is for magical beings is under threat from the secret organisation The Evening Star.

I devoured this book in 24 hours; I just could not put it down. It just sucked me in like the first book did. There is a wonderful humour infused through the book and the action is fast past and exciting. I especially like the mythology developed in the world of Fablehaven.

"Kendra ran to the side of the pool. By the time she arrived Seth was boosting himself out of the water, hair and clothes dripping. “That was the freakiest, awesomest, moment of my life!” Seth declared. “But next time, let me take off my shoes ” "

This series is really interesting and the characters of Kendra and Seth are very well developed and believable. We get to learn more about the world of Fablehaven, and the people who protect the other sanctuaries around the world.

I don’t want to say too much and give the story away as this is a series and certain elements and plots are brought over from book one.

Definitely worth a read if you like Young Adult books that deal with magic and adventure.