REVIEW: POLTERGEEKS

Author: Sean Cummings
Series: Yes, #1
UK Publisher: Strange Chemistry
UK Release date: October 2012
Genre: MG & YA
Kindly given by the publisher for an honest review

15-year-old Julie Richardson is about to learn that being the daughter of a witch isn't all it's cracked up to be. When she and her best friend, Marcus, witness an elderly lady jettisoned out the front door of her home, it's pretty obvious to Julie there's a supernatural connection.

In fact, there's a whisper of menace behind increasing levels of poltergeist activity all over town. After a large-scale paranormal assault on Julie's high school, her mother falls victim to the spell Endless Night. Now it's a race against time to find out who is responsible or Julie won't just lose her mother's soul, she'll lose her mother's life.

Sean Cummings writing style was the first thing that grabbed me when I started reading. It flows naturally, and perfectly encompasses Julie's character including her sassiness, wit and outspoken teen voice. It reads so naturally like a teenager that I instantly got a sense of what Julie's personality was like and I loved her.

Although I guessed pretty much from the outset what was coming at the end, I'm not sure if this was down to my extra good guessing abilities or easy to read plot/characters. Despite this there were still a few twists and surprises that threw me so that I still enjoyed the ending, and the plot overall was energetic and action packed. The premise behind the story has so much potential and I can see Julie getting into a whole host of adventures, or misadventures, in future books and I think it would work so well as a TV series.

The magical elements bring the story to life, with the grimoire passed down to Julie, her mother's collection of unusual smelling concoctions, the shadowcull legacy and don't forget a bit of grave digging.

After Julie, I liked Marcus the best. Because he provides the 'reasonable' and scientific perspective. He tries to fit magic into science and his understanding of the physical world, remains a little sceptical, but also makes steps to believing some of the crazy things that are happening around him.

Although it hadn't really crossed my mind at the time, Non at Catnip, pointed out how well the content and style for Poltergeeks would be appropriate for a younger Middle Grade age range. I think younger audiences would really relate to Julie, the confusing situation she is in with Marcus and their changing relationship. Although she's not popular in school, she is quirky, quick-witted and completely herself. For young girls I think she shines as a role model.

Poltergeeks is a sassy, funny, and thrilling YA debut.

Rating: 4*

REVIEW: THE WOOD QUEEN

Please note: there may be spoilers for The Iron Witch, #1 in this series, but there won't be any spoilers for The Wood Queen.

Author: Karen Mahoney
Series: Yes, #2
UK Publisher: Corgi
UK Release date: February 2012
Genre: YA Faerie

To keep her best friend, Navin, from being killed at the hands of vicious wood elves, Donna Underwood stole the elixir of life. Now she's facing an alchemist tribunal while her mother lies dying, succumbing to the elven curse that shattered her mind. In desperation, Donna seeks an audience with Aliette, the fierce and manipulative Wood Queen, who offers a deal: if Donna can use her strange and burgeoning powers to help the wood elves, Aliette will free her mother from the curse. Along with Navin and Xan, the half-fey guy she's falling for, Donna struggles to unlock the secrets of her iron tattoos in time to save her mother's life. But some secrets are better left untold.

Donna is the kind of girl that tries to do everything herself, but often things end up going awry and not at all according to plan. Having been told faery stories by her father as a child where the heroine never waits to be rescued by the hero, Donna has learnt to charge into a situation and try to handle it herself. But I had to admire Donna for wanting to do help save her Mum and solve her problems with the Wood Queen on her own, even if it didn't always work out for the best. She's got guts and determination and for that I liked Donna, rather than throw my hands up in frustration at her. She also started developing new powers and I can't wait to see how these develop further.

Despite the slow start, the story's plot covered 3 days making it feel well paced and very real as it followed Donna's life and the dilemmas and problems she faced. Although there was plenty of action, excitement and surprises, the book felt to me like it was setting everything up for the final book; asking more questions and presenting more mysteries and clues but never actually resolving anything. For me this book didn't quite follow up The Iron Witch with as much gusto as I expected, but I'm hoping that all the set up will make The Stone Demon that much better.

In this book, there were a lot more questions about the Order and what its true purposes are. Could its leader Simon by trusted? Would Donna's aunt Paige really do the best for Donna? Sure the Order protect people from the Fey but do they actually do good? With the introduction of new characters such as Robert Lee there was even more interest and intrigue surrounding the witches. Robert, a member of the Order of the Crow, was a great new addition - I couldn't figure out at first if he was a good guy or bad guy, but his quick wit and mysterious air made me want to know more about him.

What can I say about Xan - he's gorgeous, irresistible and practically perfect in every way. He helped Donna, fought along side her, and made my knees a bit wobbly. I just hope we see as much if not more of him after the revelation of the trial.

The Wood Queen is an easy enjoyable read that leaves a lot of action and answers for the final installment in the series.

Rating: 3.5*

REVIEW: CARNIVAL OF SOULS

Author: Melissa Marr
Series: Yes, #1
UK Publisher: Harper Collins
UK Release date: 4th September 2012
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Kindly given by the publisher for an honest review

In a city of daimons, rigid class lines separate the powerful from the power-hungry. And at the heart of The City is the Carnival of Souls, where both murder and pleasure are offered up for sale. Once in a generation, the carnival hosts a deadly competition that allows every daimon a chance to join the ruling elite. Without the competition, Aya and Kaleb would both face bleak futures--if for different reasons. For each of them, fighting to the death is the only way to try to live.

All Mallory knows of The City is that her father--and every other witch there--fled it for a life in exile in the human world. Instead of a typical teenage life full of friends and maybe even a little romance, Mallory scans quiet streets for threats, hides herself away, and trains to be lethal. She knows it's only a matter of time until a daimon finds her and her father, so she readies herself for the inevitable. While Mallory possesses little knowledge of The City, every inhabitant of The City knows of her. There are plans for Mallory, and soon she, too, will be drawn into the decadence and danger that is the Carnival of Souls.

I have to admit I was a little dubious reading this one as I haven't exactly loved other books by the author in the past. But this book gripped me straight away, and I absolutely loved it.

The plot was a cleverly crafted, beautifully woven and complex web. The different subplots interplayed so fluidly that at points when I was thinking 'what the hell just happened?!', things came together and fitted like another piece in a jigsaw puzzle. The plot was a little like a chess game, with wild twists and turns happening as each character made their next move in the desire for power. (Sorry for all my game analogies, but as you can probably tell I think the plot was really well worked out, with such clever changes and huge surprises and revelations. Along with the world building and strong character motivations there were so many different layers to this story, but they all worked perfectly together.) There was also plenty of action and intrigue to keep me utterly captivated and guessing what might happen next, but honestly with this book I couldn't rightly predict anything!

To start, the world building with its history of wars and hostility between witches and daimons and changing between the human and daimon worlds, had me a little confused. But soon I became fascinated with The City and its Carnival of Souls. This daimon world was a little more brutal and violent than I had expected, and it harked back to medieval times where caste systems were still strongly adhered to and those at the bottom had to fight, steal, kill or whore themselves to survive. Danger lurked around every corner and the Carnival felt very dark and unpredictable. The stark contrast of the two worlds was brilliant, and although there was less action in Mallory's human world, it didn't make it any less interesting.

Carnival of Souls featured a large cast of characters, and each one was well developed with distinct personalities and very focused motivations that catapulted the action and created the shocking plot twists. I felt a little sorry for Mallory, raised in the human world and pretty much oblivious to the truth. She'd been sheltered by Adam for her own protection and although he'd trained her, her ignorance made her practically defenceless against daimons or witches. She also had no say in her life - Adam pretty much controlled what she did, who she saw and where they lived, and even Kaleb started making decisions that impacted her life without her knowledge or consent. Although this felt right within the plot and with an understanding of why Kaleb was making these decisions, it still felt wrong that Mallory was often used by people as a tool. I respected the fact that she didn't just fall straight into Kaleb's arms, and I would have liked to have seen a little more happen or shared between the pair to better understand why Kaleb liked her so much.

In terms of Kaleb, he was very dangerous and violent. But his past and low social standing left him pretty much no other option on how to survive in The City, so I couldn't help but feel for him. I also admit that I kind of fell for his tough exterior and caring protectiveness over pack member Zevi. He was an enigma, scheming away and making dangerous power plays, but I think his boldness and determination attracted me to him.

At first I was also a little uncertain of Aya, because she was so forthright, cold and brutal. But she grew on me as the story progressed and I admired her strength and courage. She wasn't immune to caring, asking for help but she was very clever.

With some of the characters I couldn't tell what they might be up to and whether they could be completely trusted but this just intrigued me more. I can't wait to read the next book and see what happens to the individual characters and in the greater was between witches and daimons.

Carnival of Souls is beautifully crafted and deliciously dark. A must read for this year.

Rating: 5*

Carnival of Souls is out today and can be bought as an ebook too :)

BLOG TOUR: BURN MARK

Today as part of the Burn Mark book tour and to celebrate the release of her new book, I have the lovely Laura Powell to talk about Glory the main female protagonist in Burn Mark.

Glory is from a family of witches and lives beyond the law. She is desperate to develop her powers and become a witch herself. Lucas is the son of the Chief Prosecutor for the Inquisition—the witches’ mortal enemy—and his privileged life is very different to the forbidden world that he lives alongside.

And then on the same day, it hits them both. Glory and Lucas develop the Fae—the mark of the witch. In one fell stroke, their lives are inextricably bound together, whether they like it or not . . .

Who is Glory?

It’s modern Britain, and the Inquisition is still burning witches alive. Although licensed witches are partially integrated into society, many have formed criminal gangs known as covens.

Glory is the granddaughter of one of the infamous “Starling Twins”, beautiful blonde witch-sisters whose gang terrorised London in the 1960s. In her run-down East End estate, Glory dreams of becoming a witch too. It’s her only chance of getting power and respect. But her side of the family’s been pushed out into the cold by a rival coven, and now the battle’s on to claim her rights.

I’d probably be a bit nervous of Glory if I met her in real life. She’s stroppy and tough, with a sharp tongue. She’s also vulnerable – a young girl trying to survive in a brutally macho world. Her family has suffered horrible persecutions at the hands of the Inquisition, and she lives in fear of them coming for her too. Bullied by her powerful mafia relations, hunted by the witch-finders, and forced into an uneasy alliance with the son of an Inquisitor, Glory is about to find out that becoming a witch is a lot more than she bargained for. 

If you're intrigued by this insight into Glory, you can find out more about Laura and her new book on:

Twitter
Facebook
www.laurapowellauthor.com

Don't forget to hop over to Monday and Tuesday's Burn Mark blog tour hosts, Sarah and Raimy:

Feeling Fictional

Readaraptor

And you can find my review of the explosive Burn Mark here.

REVIEW: BURN MARK

Author: Laura Powell
Series: Yes, #1
UK Publisher: Bloomsbury
UK Release date: June 2012
Genre: Magic, YA
Kindly given by the publisher for an honest review

In modern day London, witches still exist. Although if it was down to the Inquisition and witch-hunters this wouldn't be true, and tensions run high between magic and non-magic kind. When Luke, son of the Chief Prosecutor for the Inquisition, discovers his own magical secret he finds his only solution is to pair up with Glory, a young witch-in-waiting and member of a highly notorious criminal family. Together they must learn to put aside their differences and prejudices to stop magical tensions tearing society apart.

The parallels that can be drawn from Burn Mark both to historical events and even current society are very poignant.  The story shows you just how easily people judge others, how easily they can make immoral decisions in the name of morals and tradition, and how scary it can be when you’re persecuted for being nothing other than who you are. So many characters in the book took drastic actions which they felt were justified and right, but were completely blinded by their prejudices. The fact that the context is changed to witches really made me reflect back on my own beliefs in the real world, but in a safe and intriguing way.

I liked how different Lucas and Glory were, both in background and beliefs. Lucas is from an upper class witch-hunting family and Glory is from a notorious criminal family with witch powers. And yet despite their own desires to hate each other, they were able to find a common ground and see that there was something more important that their own feelings. Which was certainly much more than all the adults in the book could do. Without making it too much of 'lesson', their alliance shows what can be done if you put differences aside and act with openness and fairness in mind.

At first I thought Lucas was a bit stuck up and arrogant, but I was seriously impressed with how he dealt finding out he was a witch. To come from a long line of witch-hunters, the disparity between what he expected his future to be and who he actually was huge. Yet he showed strength, fortitude, and courage and he grew on me throughout the story. Because of Glory's tenacity, passion and wiliness they both draw equal as my favourite characters in the story.

Filled with tense moments and 'magically' aggravated events, Burn Mark was action packed and fast paced. At certain points I could practically feel the tension rolling out of the pages, as if any situation could turn nasty at any point. A thought provoking story of societal prejudices, Burn Mark certainly delivered a high-impact story of the magic kind.

Rating: 4*

Bloomsbury have launched their Burning Times Facebook page where you will find all the latest news, reviews, and more, and you can view their amazing trailer here.

And don't forget to pop back on Wednesday for more of an insight into Glory direct from Laura Powell!

BOOKISH NEWS: WITCHES IN LONDON

A few bookish news pieces...all about witches in London...there must be something in the air!

Here is the fiery new book trailer for Burn Mark by Laura Powell.
Check back in June for the Burn Mark blog tour :)

Find out more about Laura on:
Twitter 
Facebook 
www.laurapowellauthor.com

*****

An Exclusive Reading from Ben Aaronovitch!
Saturday 23 June 2012 16:00 - 17:00
Forbidden Planet, 179 Shaftesbury Avenue, London,WC2H 8JR

Ben will be giving a preview reading from the 3rd book in the Peter Grant series, Whispers Underground. He will also be signing copies which will be available to buy on the day.

If you haven't started reading this series you should! You can find my review of the first in the series, Rivers of London, here.

REVIEW: A WITCH IN WINTER

Author: Ruth Warburton
Series: Yes, #1
UK Publisher: Hodder Children's Books
UK Release date: January 2012
Genre: YA

With financial troubles forcing her father's hand, Anna Winterson and her dad move to a rural fishing village in England. There she moves into the spooky Wicker House, where she discovers an old spell book. But when she tries a spell late one night with friends, she discovers it works, making Seth fall head over heels for her. Anna will have to find a way to undo the spell and come to terms with her new witchy powers.

The setting for this witchy story is fantastic. Not only is the English rural fishing village of Winter old and full of history, which I really want to know more about, it is the kind of place that immediately conjures images of witchcraft and magic …old oak trees filled with cawing crows, thrashing grey seas, and creepy Wicker House. Possibly a make-over house from hell, but perfect for the mystery and intrigue of Anna’s discovery of an ancient spell book. The fact that it was based in England and incorporated British language and slang was an added extra for me.

Anna is an interesting but unusual heroine. Proclaiming herself as average, she is someone that I can relate to and find likeable. She is faced with touch decisions, a journey of self discovery and finds herself in some dire situations, yet her good heart leads her in the right direction.

With the flowingly beautiful writing and well past action, A Witch in Winter reads really well and is a quick read. And the action packed and magically charged ending will just knock your socks off! There was also plenty of mystery and underlying questions – who are the Ealdwitan and what do they want Anna for? Will there be a little love triangle between Anna, Seth and bad boy Abe? I do hope so!

If I had one complaint, it was that Seth and Anna’s romance develops rather quickly, all spells aside. Anna falls for him the moment she sees him. Yes he is good looking and does turn out to be a stellar guy, but initial feelings of infatuation are very different from love based on knowing someone’s character and personality. As Seth is spelled in love with Anna I also found it hard to see when the spell ended and their real feelings began, because for me there wasn’t enough build up and interaction between the two. Hopefully we’ll see more interaction and testing of their feelings in the rest of the series.

A Witch in Winter is a superb debut, full of mystery and eerie atmosphere. A great start to a witchy series.

Rating: 4*

REVIEW: ENTANGLED

Author: Nikki Jefford
Series: Yes, #1
Release date: February 2012
Genre: YA

Twins Graylee and Charlene are both secret witches with magical powers. Like the rest of their coven they hide their talents from others. Which for Graylee isn’t so hard as her powers are practically nonexistent. But when her life changes dramatically she will discover that not everyone she knows and loves can be trusted, and that she may be stronger than she thinks. When the help of a banished warlock she may just get her life back.

Well I have to say Entangled was full of surprises and wasn’t what I expected at all, partly because I won the e-book so hadn't really read the synopsis. When I started reading, I thought it was going to be some light hearted, unsuspecting, teen-coming-of-age story about young twins with magical powers. But the further into the story I got the darker it got. Graylee discovers that her twin is more hateful and evil than she thought, and characters surprise you with their acts of betrayal or support. This was a roller coaster of plot twists and turns.

When I realised what had happened to Graylee, I initially thought oh please don’t turn out to be one of those stories where they wake up and find out that they were dreaming the whole time and none of its real. The reason being, the story took a sharp detour from my realm of expectations for what I thought was a light hearted story. (If this all sounds very vague, its because I don't want to spoil the story for you, although if you want to know what happens mid way through you can read the Goodreads synopsis.)

I liked the fact that the Perez twins were such different characters. I really liked Graylee, she was sweet and although she wasn't purposely mean she wasn’t afraid to fight back to win. On the other hand Charlene was viciously mean, slutty, petty and selfish, and the more I learnt about the her the less I liked her. The notes she left Graylee were so selfish and unsisterly, I loved it when Graylee rebelled against her sister and tried to maintain her independence and sense of self. Plus you gotta love a girl that eats burgers and not shakes! The tension and battles between the two was fabulous - a great hero versus villain.

Lots of the other characters weren’t what they seemed either. The dangerous, threatening Raj turned out to have a past and history that made him vulnerable. And when it came down to it, he had the strength and commitment to help Graylee. I think they made a great pair!

A surprising and delightfully dark read, that will certainly keep you entertained and spellbound.

Rating: 4*

REVIEW: SECRET CIRCLE EPISODE 1 (PILOT)

Currently out on TV is a new supernatural teen drama from the creators of The Vampire Diaries. Based on books by the same author, L.J. Smith, The Secret Circle is set to run for 13 episodes.

Secret Circle
Director: Liz Friedlander
Based on the books by L.J. Smith
UK TV release date: September 2011
Genre: Witchcraft

The "Secret Circle" series follows 16-year-old Cassie, who moves from California to live with her grandmother in New Salem and falls in love with a mysterious boy named Adam. But, when she enrolls in high school there, she realizes that he, she and all the other elite students at the school are witches! She befriends their leader, Diana, but soon discovers that Adam and Diana are dating, which leads to a whole bunch of complicated drama.

What I like about this first episode is that there is an immediate sense of mystery and intrigue – why did Cassie’s mum leave Chance Habor, was she really killed in an accident, and what happened to everyone's parents so many years ago? And if you are new to the story completely, why are certain teenagers acting so strangely towards Cassie?

Having read the Initiation and The Captive Book 1, it was inevitable that I would compare the two different versions. One difference from the original text (if my poor memory serves me correctly) is that the circle’s parents are much more heavily involved in the TV series, bringing in a lot more intrigue and danger. We see a different side to what magic can do, with the adults' attempts to keep Ethan Conant (Adam's father) quiet and their desire to keep Cassie in town.

My favourite scene was when Adam showed Cassie that they could do magic. Water drops hung in the air, looking beautiful and magical. With the growing connection and forbidden feelings between the pair, this scene was just hot!

I also have to say on a completely irrelevant and personal note, that I loved the glow-in-the-dark stars stuck on Cassie’s bedroom ceiling, left over from when her mum lived there. I just love those stars anyway and have always wanted my ceiling covered in them, but when they started to move and shift…so fab!

Probably my one downfall of the series so far is some of the acting. I liked lots of the characters, particularly Britt Robertson as Cassie, Thomas Dekker as Adam, and Adam Harrington as his father. But for me, Faye's character could have been so much darker, a hint of real danger and evil inside her waiting to be unleashed. Conjuring rain didn't really do it for me. Instead the real threat and danger came from Charles Meade, good girl Diana's dad, which is making me wonder what he is up to.

So far only three episodes have been aired in the US and one here in the UK, and in total their are thirteen in this first series. I was impressed to see that L.J. Smith was actually involved in writing some of the episodes, and I can't wait to watch the rest of the series although I really hope to see more darkness and edge to certain characters.

Have you started watching the series? What did you think?

REVIEW: TEXAS GOTHIC

Thanks to Sarah at Feeling Fictional for kindly giving this one to me after a Random House event last week.

Texas Gothic
Author: Rosemary Clement-Moore
Series: No
UK Publisher: Corgi
UK release date: July 2011
Genre: Contemporary YA

Amy Goodnight comes from a long line of witches and psychics. The Goodnight family is renowned for its quirks and eccentricities. So much so that when Amy and Phin look after their aunt’s farm, they are instantly placed at the centre of a ghostly mystery troubling the neighbouring ranch.

Review: Texas Gothic is a spooky supernatural mystery set in cowboy country. Following rumours of a ghostly mad monk haunting the McCullough’s land, ranch-hands start being attacked at night and everyone instantly starts pointing fingers at the Goodnights. It is up to Amy to placate the locals and solve the mystery.

I love the Goodnight family - each member has their own gift, such as Aunt Hyacinth who makes magical herbal products, and Phin who invents pseudo-scientific paranormal equipment. Amy tries to distance herself from her witchy inner self, to maintain an air of normality and protect her family from others prejudice. But when an ominous ghost starts visiting Amy, the theme of accepting who you are becomes an issue that Amy will have to face.

As the main protagonist, Amy has a perfect blend of humour, charm, clumsiness, and a natural instinct for getting in trouble. To top it off, Amy’s narrative is witty and natural, making me instantly feel like I was inside her head watching events unfold.

I was undoubtedly swept up in Amy and Ben’s love-hate relationship. Although Ben McCullough is snarky and quarrelsome, there is something likeable about him, and as the story develops his rough nature becomes more understandable. As soon as he meets Amy there is an undeniable fire and passion between the pair. Perhaps this is helped by the fact that Amy is in her underwear! At first this passion manifests as hostility but when the underlying attraction between them surfaces it is smoking hot.

Whilst the mystery isn’t that hard to guess, the ups and downs of the plot are both humorous and gripping. Amy can't stop herself from nosing around and ending up in trouble, or big piles of guano!

I’m a big fan of stand-alone books, but there’s something about the quirky Goodnight family that would work so well as a series and I would really be interested in reading more about them.

Perfectly set in Texas ranch land, Texas Gothic is a witty, supernatural mystery with great characters and steaming hot sexual tension.

Rating: 4*

Click here for Rosemary Clement-Moore’s website.

REVIEW: BEAUTIFUL CREATURES

Beautiful Creatures (Caster Chronicles #1)

Authors: Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl
UK Publisher: Penguin Books
UK Release date: February 2010
Genre: YA

Summary: Ethan Wate has lived in Gatlin, South Carolina, all his life and nothing there ever changes. Until Lena Duchaness arrives, causing a stir in the town by living with her recluse uncle and driving a hearse. If only they knew she was from a long line of Casters.

The town turn against Lena, not only because she can make windows break, but because she is an outsider. A witch hunt against her begins, whilst Ethan and Lena try to deal with her coming 16th birthday and the prospect that she might turn ‘dark’.

As Ethan gets to know Lena and her unusual family, he realises that they are tied together until fate decides what will happen on her 16th birthday.

Review: Beautiful Creatures is firmly set in South Carolina, where everyone knows everyone else’s business, school children re-enact the civil war, and history and family reputation play a huge part in your social standing. Little details like Amma making her biscuits by hand firmly root the story and help set the scene for the prejudices, traditions and superstitions that the town abide by. I really enjoyed the aspects that show there is more to Gatlin than meets the eye and that most of the town don’t know about, like hidden libraries and charmed houses.

In Lena’s family everyone has different abilities, whether it is an ability to tell the truth, see the past or manipulate people. Lena is only months away from her 16th birthday when her fate will be decided and she will find out if she will go ‘dark’ or ‘light’. She struggles with the weight of thinking she will become evil, her family curse, and dealing with her growing powers as a Natural.

The story’s point of view is from Ethan’s perspective, which I just love. You get to see a little behind what boys are thinking and their take on girls, dresses and proms.

Ethan’s housekeeper and surrogate mother, Amma, is a from a long line of seers. She is heavily superstitious, always practicing her own form of magic and hiding little bones and charms around the house. Macon, Lena's Uncle, is certainly not the recluse the town think he is but more of a debonair gentleman with formidable powers. The pair don’t get on but both are impressive characters, that you definitely wouldn’t want to mess with!

Garcia and Stohl have a familiar, welcoming style with well developed characters and writing that makes you feel right at home…this sounds odd I know, but I feel like I’m reading a story by a favourite author, which as a debut novel by the pair is really saying something.

Rating: 4*