The Voodoo Killings - Review

Title:  The Voodoo Killings

Author:  Kristi Charish

Series:  Kincaid Strange #1

Synopsis:     “Introducing Kincaid Strange, not your average Voodoo practitioner… For starters, she’s only twenty-seven.  And she lives in rain-soaked Seattle, which is not exactly Haiti.  And she’s broke.  Since raising zombies was outlawed, she has had to eke out a living by running séances for university students desperate for guitar lessons with the ghost of a grunge rocker – who happens to be Kincaid’s roommate.

     “Still, when a stray zombie turns up outside her local bar, she tries to help.  But not only is it dangerous for her to be caught with an unauthorized zombie, she soon realizes the zombie is tied to a spate of unsolved murders.  Someone is killing the zombies and voodoo practitioners connected to Seattle’s infamous Underground City, a paranormal hub.  When the police refuse to investigate, the City’s oldest and foremost zombie asks Kincaid to help.  She doesn’t want to chase a murderer: she’s broke but she’s not stupid…

     “But then she becomes the target.”

Review:  This is one of the best books that you’ve never heard of.  I hadn’t heard a peep about this book, and I follow a lot of book blogs, bookstagrams, and publishers.  But then a new friend of mine posted, on Facebook, that she had read it and enjoyed it.  I wanted a physical copy, not a Kindle copy, and it was really hard to find!  I live in Western NY and finally found a copy from a seller in Canada.  It took over 2 weeks to arrive and by the time it came I had kind of forgotten I’d ordered it.  So it was a nice little surprise! 

     This is one of the best books I’ve read in a long time.  I liked the world, and the characters are well developed.  The plot itself reads a lot like a “who-dun-it”, and I really had no idea until the very end who the bad guy really was.  I read a lot of zombie novels, and this is not your normal zombie novel.  The Voodoo Killings is a fun, fast-paced romp through a paranormal world full of strange and wonderful things.  I highly recommend fans of urban fantasy give the novels of Kristi Charish a try.  I can’t wait for the next book about Kincaid Strange!

Publisher:   Penguin Random House/ Vintage Canada

If you like this book you may want to read:

City of Light (Outcast Novels #1) by Keri Arthur

Blood of the Earth (Soulwood Novel #1) by Faith Hunter

Spells of Blood and Kin - Review

Title:  Spells of Blood and Kin

Author:  Claire Humphrey

Synopsis:  “Some families hand down wealth through generations; some hand down wisdom.  Some families, whether they want to or not, hand down the secret burdens they carry and the dangerous debts they owe.

     “Lissa Nevsky’s grandmother leaves her a big, empty house and a legacy of magic: folk magic, old magic, brought with Baba when she fled the Gulag.  In the wake of her passing, the Russian community of Toronto will depend on Lissa now to give them their remedies and be their koldun’ia.  But Lissa hasn’t had time to learn everything Baba wanted to teach her – let alone the things Baba kept hidden.

     “Maksim Volkov’s birth family is long dead, anything they bestowed on him long turned to dust.  What Maksim carries now is a legacy of violence, and the does not have to die to pass it on  When Maksim feels his protective spell fail, he returns to the witch he rescued from the Gulag, only to find his spell has died along with the one who cast it.  Without the spell, it is only a matter of time before Maksim’s violent nature slips its leash and he infects someone else – if he hasn’t done so already.

     “Nick Kaisaris is just a normal dude who likes to party.  He doesn’t worry about family drama.  He doesn’t have any secrets.  All he wants is for things to stay like they are right now, tonight: Nick and his best buddy, Jonathan, out on the town.  Only Nick is on a collision course with Maksim Volkov, and what he takes away from this night is going to crack open Nick’s nature until all of his worst self comes to light.

     “Lissa’s newfound knowledge of magic might hold the key to Maksim’s salvation, if she can unravel it in time.  But it’s a legacy that comes at a price.  And Maksim might not want to be saved.”

    

Review:  I love the main premise found in Spells of Blood and Kin, you know the one: the main character, who is usually a young woman, is left a magical legacy by a dead/ missing/ retired mysterious older relative.  This main character must then figure out the details of this magical legacy which is usually a business of some type.  While discovering the ins and outs of this business she meets her love interest and by the end of the novel she is running the business successfully and the young couple is happy and in love.           While this is the main premise of Spells of Blood and Kin I found myself not loving this novel.  I found the characters to be unlikable.  I honestly though Lissa was whiny and a bit pathetic.  Her half sister Stella was never really fully fleshed out.  Maksim and Nick are sort of antiheroes, they are evil but don’t want to be evil, but they were so unlikable that I honestly didn’t care if they became redeemed or not.  Claire Humphrey’s writing is good, her setting is believable, and I enjoyed the Russian element of the novel.  Unfortunately I just couldn’t get past the unlikable characters.

Publisher:  St. Martin’s Press/ Thomas Dunne Books

If you like this book you may want to read:

The Enchantment Emporium (Gale Women #1) by Tanya Huff

Carousel Tides (Carousel Tides #1) Sharon Lee

Magic Bitter, Magic Sweet - Review

Title:  Magic Bitter, Magic Sweet  

Author:  Charlie N. Holmberg

Synopsis:  “Maire is a baker with an extraordinary gift: she can infuse her treats with emotions and abilities, which are then passed on to those who eat them. She doesn’t know why she can do this and remembers nothing of who she is or where she came from.

“When marauders raid her town, Maire is captured and sold to the eccentric Allemas, who enslaves her and demands that she produce sinister confections, including a witch’s gingerbread cottage, a living cookie boy, and size-altering cakes.

“During her captivity, Maire is visited by Fyel, a ghostly being who is reluctant to reveal his connection to her. The more often they meet, the more her memories return, and she begins to piece together who and what she really is—as well as past mistakes that yield cosmic consequences.”

Review:  When I started reading Magic Bitter, Magic Sweet I wasn’t sure what to expect.  All I knew of the novel was that the main character could infuse what she bakes with feelings.  I sort of thought it was going to be magical realism similar to Sarah Addison Allen, and I thought a novel about a woman who owns a bakery and makes magical baked goods would be awesome (if anyone knows of a book like that please let me know).  This is not that novel.

     Magic Bitter, Magic Sweet is a fantasy novel.  It’s set in a fantasy world where magic and gods are real.  It starts out with Maire in her bakery, but swiftly turns darker.  Most of the town is slaughtered by bandits and Maire is sold into slavery.  There are some brutal violent bits, I started to get afraid there was going to be rape (I don’t handle those scenes well and I would have quit right there) but there is not. 

     Even though it is not the story I thought I was going to be reading, Magic Bitter, Magic Sweet has the excellent writing that I have come to expect from Holmberg, strong well developed characters and careful world building.  I definitely recommend fans of fantasy read this novel.

**I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review via NetGalley.**

Publisher:  47 North

If you like this book you may want to read:

The Paper Magician (Paper Magician Series #1) by Charlie N. Holmberg

Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen

Besieged- Review

Title:  Besieged

Author: Rowena Cory Daniells

Series: The Outcast Chronicles #1

Synopsis:  “Sorne, the estranged son of a King on the verge of madness, is being raised as a weapon to wield against the mystical Wyrds.  Half a continent away, his father is planning to lay siege to the Celestial City, the home of the T’En, whose wyrd blood the mundane population have come to despise.  Within the City, Imoshen, the only mystic to be raised by men, is desperately trying to hold her people together.  A generation long feud between the men of the Brotherhoods and the women of the sacred Sisterhoods is about to come to a head.”

Review:  I’m going to be upfront about something right away; please don’t judge me.  I bought this book because I fell in love with the cover.  Look at it.  It’s beautiful.  Can you blame me?  It was when I started reading Besieged that I realized this novel is beautiful inside and out.  I became emotionally invested in the lives of the characters.  If I hadn't been able to finish reading this in one day I would have worried about the characters while not reading.  The fantastic world building and political intrigue in this epic fantasy novel will keep you reading for hours that feel like seconds.  I read Besieged in one day and immediately ordered the second and third in the series.  I highly recommend reading Besieged.

Publisher:  Solaris Books

If you like this book you may want to read:

Exile (The Outcast Chronicles #2) by Rowena Cory Daniells

The Sentinel Mage (The Cursed Kingdoms Trilogy #1) by Emily Gee (Read BookGirlR’s review here)

The Warded Man (The Demon Cycle #1) by Peter V. Brett (Read BookGirlR’s review here)

Sorcerer to the Crown - Review

Title:  Sorcerer to the Crown

Author:  Zen Cho

Series:  Sorcerer Royal #1

Synopsis:  “At his wit’s end, Zacharias Wythe, freed slave, eminently proficient magician, and Sorcerer Royal of the Unnatural Philosophers – one of the most respected organizations throughout all of Britain – ventures to the border of Fairyland to discover why England’s magical stocks are drying up.

     “But when his adventure brings him in contact with a most unusual comrade, a woman with immense power and an unfathomable gift, he sets on a path which will alter the nature of sorcery in all of Britain – and the world at large.”

Review:  I loved this novel!  It did not go the way I expected based on the cover blurb.  I felt that the novel was much more about Prunella and less about Zacharias than the blurb lead me to believe.  I was fascinated by the story of Zacharias and Prunella.  Together they deal with the heavy issues of racism & sexism.  At first I was annoyed by Prunella’s insistence on just wanting to marry a rich husband, but came to like her more as she came into her own.  Sorcerer to the Crown features a beautifully crafted world with intricate, well thought-out politics, and fully fleshed out characters.  I can’t wait to read the next novel in the series!

**I received a free copy of this book, in exchange for my honest review, via NetGalley**

Publisher:  Ace

If you like this book you may want to read:

Uprooted by Naomi Novik (read BookGirlR’s review here)

The Sorcerer of the Wildeeps by Kai Ashante Wilson

Three Parts Dead by Max Gladstone 

Day Shift - Review

Title: Day Shift

Author:  Charlaine Harris

Series:  Midnight Texas #2

Synopsis:  "There is no such thing as bad publicity, except in Midnight, Texas, where the residents like to keep to themselves.  Even in a town full of secretive people, Olivia Charity is an enigma.  She is seeing the vampire Lemuel, but no one knows what she does; they only know that she's beautiful and dangerous.

     "Psychic Manfred Bernardo finds out just how dangerous when he goes on a working weekend to Dallas and sees Olivia there with a couple who are both found dead the next day.  To make matters worse, one of Manfred's regular -- and very wealthy -- clients dies during a reading.

     "Manfred returns for Dallas embroiled in scandal and hounded by the press.  He looks to the mysterious Olivia for help; somehow he knows that she can get things back to normal.  As normal as things get in Midnight..."

Review:  I loved Day Shift just as much as I did Midnight Crossroad (read that review here).  I was on the edge of my seat the whole time wondering what was going to happen next.  I thoroughly enjoyed learning more about the mysterious residents of Midnight, Texas.  A hotel opens in town.  Secrets about Joe and Chuy are hinted at, and finally revealed.  Manfred and Olivia are forced to learn more about each other and spend a lot of time together and help each other out of some tight spots.  And the reverend has a surprise visitor.  This installment of the new series is just as riveting as the first; and I read it in a single day.  Don't miss out!  Go get Day Shift now!

Publisher: Ace Books

If you like this book you may want to read:

First Frost by Sarah Addison Allen

Tempest in the Tea Leaves by Kari Lee Townsend

Gil's All Fright Diner by A. Lee Martinez (Read BookGirlR's review here)

Accession - Review

Title: Accession
Author: Terah Edun
Series: Serath Web #1

Synopsis: “Sixteen-year-old Katherine Thompson wasn’t trained to rule a coven. That was her sister – perfect, beautiful Rose. But when a mysterious plane crash kills off the heir presumptive of the Sandersville coven she has no choice.
 “After stepping in to fill her sister’s shoes, Katherine realizes she didn’t have a clue – faery wars, depressed trolls and angry unicorns are just the beginning.
 “For centuries, her family has served the high Queens on both sides of the Atlantic but it is a well-known rule that mid-level witches stay away from high-level Queens.
 “But when Katherine’s youngest cousin vanishes without a trace in the Atlanta court and no one wants to investigate, Katherine decides to step into the darkness on her own. She will soon discover that nothing, especially in a queen's court, is as it seems.”



Review: I have no idea how I managed to read this whole novel. Was it strength of will? Was it great determination? Or was I punishing myself for something? I really have no idea. When you learn to write creative pieces in grade school you are taught to show, not tell. Based on this novel I would say that perhaps the author was absent the days they went over that in class. This novel could have used an editor or two, it's full of mistakes. For example: “Katherine narrowed her eyes. She didn’t want to debate lineage with her mother now. Although she was very much aware that the queen’s mother and her sister’s mother were different individuals. It was why the younger sister was Queen of Sandersville and the older one was not.” (ch. 25 Loc. 2907) There is so much wrong here. It’s all telling, no showing. This is an info dump (a lot of info crammed into a short narration), and there is a sentence fragment in there. The line that starts with although needs more. Although they were different individuals they had a lot in common? Although they were different individuals they were still very much the same? Although they were different individuals what? Finish the thought please! The entire novel is full of mistakes like this and then it doesn’t end. That’s right; the novel just abruptly cuts off. Each novel in a series should have its own plot that has a beginning, a middle, and an end. Even if there is a larger storyline that continues into the next novel the current one must have some sort of fulfillment or your reader will feel cheated and be ticked off. Accession does not have a plot that ends (I really had trouble finding any type of plot at all). There is no ending.  And as a reader I do feel cheated and ticked off. At this point I don’t really care, but I would like to ask the author what exactly the plot was because I couldn’t find it. Don’t read this one, you’ll regret it like I do.
 **I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review via NetGalley.**

Publisher: All Night Reads

Skip this book and try one of these instead:

A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness

Enchantment Emporium by Tanya Huff

The House of the Four Winds - Review

Title: The House of the Four Winds
Authors: Mercedes Lackey & James Mallory
Series: One Dozen Daughters #1

Synopsis: “The rulers of tiny, impoverished Swansgaard have twelve daughters and one son. While the prince’s future is assured, his twelve sisters must find their own fortunes.
      “Disguising herself as Clarence, a sailor, Princess Clarice intends to work her way to the New World. When the crew rebels, Clarice/Clarence, an expert with rapier and dagger, sides with the handsome navigator, Dominick, and kills the cruel captain.
    “Dominick leads the now-outlawed crew in search of treasure in the secret pirate haven known as The House of Four Winds. They encounter the sorceress Shamal, who claims Dominick for her own—but Clarice has fallen hard for Dominick and won’t give him up without a fight.”

 Review:   Mercedes Lackey is my favorite author. It’s hard for me to choose a favorite because I love books so much, and I have several favorite authors, and several favorite series. But Mercedes Lackey is my favorite, of my favorite, authors. I have read her Valdemar series over, and over, and over again. I will never get tired of it. I will read anything with her name on it. Most recently I read The House of the Four Winds.        
     The House of the Four Winds is a fascinating read. I had a busy week last week, and couldn’t read it as quickly as I would have liked, every time I started reading it was torture to have to put it down. This novel has everything you could want in a good read: pirates, adventure, action, romance, cross-dressing, magic and lovable characters!  And can we talk about the cover for a minute?  What a gorgeous work of art!  I want to frame this cover and put it on my wall!  If I could change one thing about The House of the Four Winds I would like a bit more information about what Clarice did after leaving home and before meeting Dominick. Don’t get me wrong, this novel is wonderful just the way it is but adding a bit more information would make it perfect! I highly recommend that fans of fantasy, fans of pirates and fans of romance all read this book!

 **I received this Kindle ARC through NetGalley. **

Publisher: TOR

If you like this book you may want to read: 

The Cipher by Diana Pharaoh Francis

Five Hundred Kingdoms Series by Mercedes Lackey

Magic Bites - Review

Title: Magic Bites
Author: Ilona Andrews
Series: Katie Daniels #1

Synopsis: “When the magic is up, rogue mages cast their spells and monsters appear, while guns refuse to fire and cars fail to start. But then technology returns, and the magic recedes as unpredictably as it arose, leaving all kinds of paranormal problems in its wake.
      “Kate Daniels is a down-on-her-luck mercenary who makes her living cleaning up these magical problems. But when Kate's guardian is murdered, her quest for justice draws her into a power struggle between two strong factions within Atlanta's magic circles.
      “The Masters of the Dead, necromancers who can control vampires, and the Pack, a paramilitary clan of shapechangers, blame each other for a series of bizarre killings—and the death of Kate's guardian may be part of the same mystery. Pressured by both sides to find the killer, Kate realizes she's way out of her league—but she wouldn't have it any other way…”

Review: After reading Magic Bites I had a few questions. The first is: why, oh why, haven’t I read this series sooner? The second is: why hasn’t anyone told me about this series? And the third question I had after finishing Magic Bites is: How soon can I get the next book in the series?
      Fans of urban fantasy will love Magic Bites. The world building that has gone into creating this novel is amazing. The magic “waves” that come and go and make technology unusable is an awesome and very different concept that I loved. Andrews does a remarkable job playing the cards close to her chest. She gives us only the information we need at exactly the time that we need it and keeps the rest to herself, leaving us wanting more when we finally reach the end of this wonderful introduction to a series.
      My only complaint is the character of Curran. He is obviously supposed to be Kate’s love interest, but I didn’t feel it. There’s no heat between the two other than hatred, they are constantly battling with each other and trying to kill/maim each other. That’s not love, or even lust, in my book. I understand that a Beast Lord needs to be very dominant and alpha, but he could be dominant/alpha and still caring. At the end of Magic Bites I’m just afraid that Kate is going to end up in a relationship with an abusive man/Beast Lord. I hope that this issue gets cleared up in the next installment.
      Overall though, I loved this novel and am looking forward to the rest of the series. Seriously, why hasn’t anyone told me to read this? I wasted so much time reading other books.

Publisher: Ace
If you like this book you may want to read: 

 Dead on the Delta by Stacey Jay (read BookGirlR’s review here)

 Midnight Riot by Ben Aaronovitch (read BookGirlR’s review here)

Midnight Crossroad - Review

Title: Midnight Crossroad
Author: Charlaine Harris
Series: Midnight Texas #1

Synopsis: “Welcome to Midnight, Texas, a town with many boarded-up windows and few full-time inhabitants, located at the crossing of Witch Light Road and the Davy highway. It’s a pretty standard dried-up western town.
      “There’s a pawnshop (someone who lives in the basement is seen only at night). There’s a diner (people who are just passing through tend not to linger). And there’s new resident Manfred Bernardo, who thinks he’s found the perfect place to work in private (and who has secrets of his own).
    “Stop at the one traffic light in town, and everything looks normal. Stay awhile, and learn the truth…”

Review: Midnight Crossroad is my current favorite book. I finished it last night and I’m still thinking about Midnight, Texas. I loved everything about it! This is the first novel in a new series by Charlaine Harris. The plot starts out a bit slow, but her writing is so interesting that it doesn’t matter and it’s because she is introducing us to an amazing cast of characters. I loved learning about Midnight, Texas and its secretive inhabitants. My favorite character is Mr. Snuggly, all of my LOL moments involved the cat (and I did actually laugh out loud several times. SuperSteve thought I was going crazy). And I had no idea “who done it” until it was revealed, the whole ending was perfect! If you haven’t read it yet go and get it now! If you only buy one book this month make it Midnight Crossroad! I don't regret it and you won’t either!

Publisher: Ace

If you like this book you may want to read:

Lost Lake by Sarah Addison Allen

 The Graveyard Queen Series by Amanda Stevens

Midnight Riot - Review

Title: Midnight Riot (Rivers of London in the U.K.)

Author:  Ben Aaronovitch

Series:  Rivers of London #1

Synopsis:  “Probationary Constable Peter Grant dreams of being a detective in London’s Metropolitan Police.  Too bad his superior plans to assign him to the Case Progression Unit, where the biggest threat he’ll face is a paper cut.  But Peter’s prospects change in the aftermath of a puzzling murder, when he gains exclusive information from an eyewitness who happens to be a ghost.  Peter’s ability to speak with the lingering dead brings him to the attention of Detective Chief Inspector Thomas Nightingale, who investigates crimes involving magic and other manifestations of the uncanny.  Now, as a wave of brutal and bizarre murders engulfs the city, Peter is plunged into a world where gods and goddesses mingle with mortals and a long-dead evil is making a comeback on a rising tide of magic.”

Review:  Ben Aaronovitch wrote for Dr. Who.  Is it any wonder that this is a brilliant story with engaging characters?  I would like to be able to say that this is why I purchased Midnight Riot.  I am (newly, within the last 6 months or so) a huge Dr. Who fan.  However, I sadly did not realize that Ben Aaronovitch had written for Dr. Who until after I had already started reading this novel. 

          The character of Peter Grant is very human, and easy to like.  He’s just a normal guy, with a normal life, and then suddenly things aren’t so normal anymore when he begins to converse with ghosts, and learn magic.  Oh yeah, and people are dying, loads of people; and Peter has to figure out why so he can stop a killer.  Aaronovitch does a good job bringing the characters to life and helping his readers become invested in the story.  I’m running out tomorrow on my way home from work to buy the next book in the Rivers of London series. 

Publisher:   Del Rey

ISBN:  978-0345524256

If you like this book you may want to read:

Moon Over Soho (Rivers of London #2) by Ben Aaronovitch

The Damned Busters (To Hell and Back #1) by Matthew Hughes

Hounded (The Iron Druid Chronicles #1) by Kevin Hearne

Dark Currents - Review

Title:  Dark Currents

Author:   Jacqueline Carey

Series:  Agent of Hel #1

Synopsis:”The Midwestern resort town of Pemkowet boasts a diverse population: eccentric locals, wealthy summer people, and tourists by the busload; not to mention fairies, sprites, vampires, naiads, ogres and a whole host of eldritch folk, presided over by Hel, a reclusive Norse goddess.

To Daisy Johanssen, fathered by an incubus and raised by a single mother, it’s home. And as Hel’s enforcer and the designated liaison to the Pemkowet Police Department, it’s up to her to ensure relations between the mundane and eldritch communities run smoothly.

But when a young man from a nearby college drowns—and signs point to eldritch involvement—the town’s booming paranormal tourism trade is at stake. Teamed up with her childhood crush, Officer Cody Fairfax, a sexy werewolf on the down-low, Daisy must solve the crime—and keep a tight rein on the darker side of her nature. For if she’s ever tempted to invoke her demonic birthright, it could accidentally unleash nothing less than Armageddon.  “

Review:  Dark Currents is a wonderful new urban fantasy from one of my favorite fantasy authors.  Several reviewers have been comparing Dark Currents to the author’s previous novels, the Kushiel series.  This is unfair.  While those novels were also wonderful, please keep in mind that this is a completely new series and a very different genre.  Jacqueline Carey has created an awesome world where paranormal characters exist in a setting much like our own world. 

Daisy’s life is caught between the two worlds and this has made her life hard.  When a student shows up dead Daisy has a mystery to solve, before it’s too late.  Sexy werewolves and ghouls, with an engaging cast of characters made Dark Currents a super fun read.  I highly recommend it to fans of urban fantasy.

Publisher:  ROC

ISBN:  978-0451464781

If you like this book you may want to read:

October Daye Series by Seanan McGuire

Grave Witch by Kalayna Price

Friday Favorites #1

Like the vast majority of book bloggers I could never pick just one favorite book.  However I do have quite a few favorite books!  These are books that I reread quite often and turn to when I’m having a bad day.   So here at BookGirl’s BookNook on the last Friday of every month I'll be talking about my favorite books.

September’s Friday Favorite:

Sunshine by Robin McKinley

I found this book a few years ago; I can’t remember the exact day.  I was shopping in B&N and just randomly picked up Sunshine.  I love Robin McKinley’s books and I love a good vampire story so I’m sure that those were two major reasons why this book appealed to me.   I devoured the book.  I read it in about two hours.  Now, when I’m having a bad day this is the book that I turn to.  This is one of those books that I won’t let people borrow because I need to know it’s here for me to read anytime I want!  For Christmas last year I received a hard cover copy of Sunshine because my paperback edition was falling apart because I’d read it so many times.  The magic, the vampires, the demons, and the baking combined with characters that I would like to know have combined to provide readers with one of the best books I’ve ever read!  

Tell me about your favorite books.

The Night Circus - Review

Title: The Night Circus
Author: Erin Morgenstern


 Synopsis: “The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it, no paper notices plastered on lampposts and billboards. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. “Within these nocturnal black-and-white-striped tents awaits an utterly unique experience, a feast for the senses, where one can get lost in a maze of clouds, meander through a lush garden made of ice, stare in wonderment as the tattooed contortionist folds herself into a small glass box, and become deliciously tipsy from the scents of caramel and cinnamon that waft through the air.
 “Welcome to Le Cirque des Rêves.
 "Beyond the smoke and mirrors, however, a fierce competition is under way – a contest between two young illusionists, Celia and Marco, who have been trained since childhood to compete in a “game” to which they have been irrevocably bound by their mercurial masters. Unbeknownst to the players, this is a game in which only one can be left standing, and the circus is but the stage for a remarkable battle of imagination and will.”

Review: The Night Circus exceeded all of my expectations. I picked up this novel on a whim. The beautiful cover first grabbed my attention but it was when I read the description on the dustcover that I knew this book had to go home with me. I’m obsessed with the romantic idealism of the circus, so the idea of a circus that’s only open at night and filled with illusion and magic grabbed my attention.
     I bought it a week ago but hadn’t had a chance to read it until today. I stayed home from class with the flu and spent the day reading The Night Circus. I quickly forgot that I was sick and read the book straight through. Morgenstern has a beautiful way with words that I have rarely seen and her prose flows like the illusion and magic of Le Cirque des Rêves. The forbidden romance between Celia and Marco stirred my soul and quickened my imagination. This is a lovely first novel which I hope is the first of many.

Publisher: Doubleday
ISBN: 978-0385534635

If you like this book you may want to read:

The Sugar Queen by Sarah Addison Allen (ISBN: 978-0553384840) Read my review here.

Abarat by Clive Barker (ISBN: 978-0062094100)

Mechanique by Genevieve Valentine (ISBN: 978-1607012535) Read my Review here.

Blood Magic - Review

Title: Blood Magic
Author: Tessa Gratton


Synopsis: “It starts off simply. Draw a circle… place a dead leaf in the center… sprinkle some salt… recite a little Latin… add a drop of blood…
“Maybe that last part isn’t exactly simple. Yet somehow if feels right to Silla Kennicott. And nothing in her life has felt remotely right since her parents’ horrific deaths. She’s willing to do anything to uncover the truth about her family- even try a few spells from the mysterious book that arrived on her doorstep… and spill some blood.
“The book isn’t the only recent arrival in Silla’s life. There’s Nick Pardee, the new guy next door who may have seen Silla casting a spell. She’s not sure what he saw and is afraid to find out. But as they spend more time together, Silla realizes that this may not be Nick’s first encounter with blood magic. Brought together by a combination of fate and chemistry, Silla and Nick can’t deny the dark presence lurking nearby – waiting to reclaim the book and all its power.”



Review: I have mixed feelings about Blood Magic. First, I thought that part of it was predictable. About halfway through the novel I had figured out who the “bad guy” was and I could easily tell who Gratton wanted us to think the “bad guy” was. Nick’s issues with his new stepmother were highly cliché and therefore, boring. Also, Silla’s interest in Nick felt rather forced. Both of her parents have just died, her life is in an upheaval. I need a stronger reason for their relationship than “OMG He saw me do magic and he’s really hot” for this to be believable. My last complaint, and this is a purely personal complaint, is that the sections that were letters from Silla’s Dad are in a font that is supposed to look more like true handwriting and these were really hard to read. I ended up with a wicked headache even though I was wearing my reading glasses.
Thus said, even though it was kind of predictable and I kept telling myself: “You know what’s going on and who did it. Why don’t you go watch some tv instead?” I read Blood Magic in two sittings and had trouble putting it down. It took me little while to figure out why. But I had an epiphany while I was eating breakfast this morning (a cheddar and broccoli omelet with whole wheat toast and coffee); it was probably an effect of the coffee waking up my brain. So here it is. I really liked the story. I love the idea of magic being something in the blood of a person. And I couldn’t figure out everything. The story about who Silla’s Dad really was caught me by surprise, and Silla’s use of imaginary masks to hide behind amused me. . Even though parts of it were predictable, and I got a headache from the silly handwriting font, I found the story engrossing and enjoyable.

Publisher: Random House
ISBN:978-0375867330

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