Waiting on Wednesday 05/21/14

"Waiting On Wednesday" is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine that lets us feature upcoming releases that we can't wait to get our hands on!

Wendy's Pick:

Blue Lily, Lily Blue by Maggie Stiefvater - October 28, 2014 (Scholastic Press)

With thanks to Mogsy for alerting me to the fact that the third book in Maggie Steifvater's Raven Cycle finally has both a cover and a title and will be coming out just in time for my birthday! Well, the day after, but that's fine! There's no information posted for the book yet, so you're just going to have to settle for my bookflail!

I'm very picky about my YA, especially after reading the Raven Cycle where Stiefvater paints characters that capture the beauty and difficulty of adolescence, without making the young adults seem to whiny and annoying for me to deal with. In fact, I adore all of the characters in these books, but most especially, Noah and Ronan.

Here's what I had to say about the previous books in the series:

The Raven Boys

Every now and then, a book attacks me and holds on tight and when I finish with it, it refuses to let me go. That’s the case with the first book in the Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater, whom I declare to be my new favourite author. I came to this conclusion not far in, primarily because of her unique way of moulding her characters and settings, bringing everything literally to life

The Dream Thieves

Once again, I have to praise Stiefvater’s skill at painting her world. She manipulates descriptions such that they don’t simply invoke an image, but a feeling. This is most evident in my favourite character, Ronan Lynch, who takes a greater lead in the second book, after announcing his ability to take things from dreams. The Dream Thieves begins with the description of Ronan’s father, and subsequently his sons, where she depicts Ronan as “molten eyes and a smile made for war.”

Mogsy's Pick:

The Mime Order by Samantha Shannon - October 21, 2014 (Bloomsbury)

The second book the The Bone Season series. I admit, I fell into the hype for the first book last year -- and I know it usually doesn't bode well when someone starts a sentence like that, but the book was actually pretty good! Officially, I don't believe it was marketed as a Young Adult novel, but it's not surprising to see that a lot of readers categorize it as such. It nicely straddles that sweet spot where it can find wide appeal among all audiences. I'm pretty curious about what the sequel might bring.

"Paige Mahoney has escaped the brutal penal colony of Sheol I, but her problems have only just begun: many of the fugitives are still missing and she is the most wanted person in London.

As Scion turns its all-seeing eye on Paige, the mime-lords and mime-queens of the city’s gangs are invited to a rare meeting of the Unnatural Assembly. Jaxon Hall and his Seven Seals prepare to take center stage, but there are bitter fault lines running through the clairvoyant community and dark secrets around every corner.

Then the Rephaim begin crawling out from the shadows. But where is Warden? Paige must keep moving, from Seven Dials to Grub Street to the secret catacombs of Camden, until the fate of the underworld can be decided. Will Paige know who to trust? The hunt for the dreamwalker is on."

 

Audiobook Review: The Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater

The Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater

Genre: Supernatural, Young Adult
Series: The Raven Cycle #2
Publisher: Scholastic Inc.
Publication Date: September 24, 2013
Author Info: www.maggiestiefvater.com

Wendy's Rating: 5 of 5 stars - "Stiefvater manipulates descriptions such that they don’t simply invoke an image, but a feeling."

Maggie Stiefvater did it to me again. As if I wasn’t already in love with Blue and her Raven Boys after reading the first book, the very last line demanded that I read the next right away (though I ended up having to wait for its release). The same thing has happened with The Dream Thieves, though now I have to wait until next year for an unnamed sequel.

Once again, I have to praise Stiefvater’s skill at painting her world. She manipulates descriptions such that they don’t simply invoke an image, but a feeling. This is most evident in my favourite character, Ronan Lynch, who takes a greater lead in the second book, after announcing his ability to take things from dreams. The Dream Thieves begins with the description of Ronan’s father, and subsequently his sons, where she depicts Ronan as “molten eyes and a smile made for war.”

Along with Ronan, is Adam, who’s sacrifice awakened the leylines and who’s circumstances have turned him into a dark and angry person. Noah, a sweet and self-conscious ghost, and Gansey, the leader of the group. The story continues their search for the Welsh king of Gansey’s obsession.

The psychic women of Blue’s household play a much greater role this time around. Their abilities are still required to help move things along, but they are more actively involved in events and in dealing with and even protecting the boys, who have become a regular fixture in their home. Their involvement takes some interesting and amusing turns when the enigmatic Gray Man is introduced. He is a deadly hitman hired to find the mysterious Gray Warren, but his involvement with the ladies reveals their ingenuity and just how closely knit the group is. Considering the Gray Man’s introduction, I was surprised when the word “endearing” popped into my head to describe the character and the subtleties of the eventual relationships that develop.

I will also use the word “endearing” to describe Noah and the relationship Blue and the boys have with him. It is firmly established now that he is dead and the circumstances of his death are horrible and brutal. He occasionally is forced, unwittingly, to replay these events, but beyond that, his friends simply accept him as one of their own who occasionally has to deal with the inconveniences of death and his connection to the leylines. There were some truly touching and some downright hilarious interactions between Noah and his friends that I really enjoyed.

But as I said, Ronan is my favourite and I treasured the opportunity to spend more time with him, as heartbreaking as it was. I have a fondness for broken people and Ronan most certainly is one. He is perpetually angry, but with damn good reason and we get to learn more and more about his secrets and who he truly is in this book. At first glance, words like nobility and loyalty wouldn’t easily be pinned on him, but there’s a lot of darkness that has to be scraped away in order to see what’s underneath.

The audiobooks for The Raven Cycle are narrated by Will Patton. While he does a good job with Blue and her household, I initially wondered why a male had been selected to narrate a book with a lead female character. Remembering that the first book is called The Raven Boys, I appreciate the choice, especially in the second book where the boys become the greater focus. That said, I was a little disappointed, in the way Blue’s role diminished. Now, not only is she a conduit for psychic powers, but she’s also the girl some of the boys are romantically linked to, particularly with the prophecy of true love’s kiss causing the death of her true love. This concern still hangs over the story, but Blue herself seemed less important overall.

Waiting On Wednesday 8/28/13

"Waiting On Wednesday" is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine that lets us feature upcoming releases that we can't wait to get our hands on!

Mogsy's Pick

Autumn Bones by Jacqueline Carey - October 1, 2013 (Roc Books)

The books in Carey's Kushiel Universe are some of my favorites ever, so I was psyched to read her new urban fantasy series. Autumn Bones is the second book of Agent of Hel.

"Fathered by an incubus, raised by a mortal mother, and liaison to the Pemkowet Police Department, Daisy Johanssen pulled the community together after a summer tragedy befell the resort town she calls home. Things are back to normal—as normal as it gets for a town famous for its supernatural tourism, and presided over by the reclusive Norse goddess Hel.

Not only has Daisy now gained respect as Hel’s enforcer, she’s dating Sinclair Palmer, a nice, seemingly normal human guy. Not too shabby for the daughter of a demon. Unfortunately, Sinclair has a secret. And it’s a big one.

He’s descended from Obeah sorcerers and they want him back. If he doesn’t return to Jamaica to take up his rightful role in the family, they’ll unleash spirit magic that could have dire consequences for the town. It’s Daisy’s job to stop it, and she’s going to need a lot of help. But time is running out, the dead are growing restless, and one mistake could cost Daisy everything."

Wendy's Pick

The Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater - September 17, 2013 (Scholastic Press)

While reading The Raven Boys, the first book in Maggie Stiefvater's The Raven Cycle series, I knew I would be reading the next book. When I finished The Raven Boys, I knew I needed to read the next book now, now, now! I've been waiting impatiently ever since!

"Now that the ley lines around Cabeswater have been woken, nothing for Ronan, Gansey, Blue, and Adam will be the same. Ronan, for one, is falling more and more deeply into his dreams, and his dreams are intruding more and more into waking life. Meanwhile, some very sinister people are looking for some of the same pieces of the Cabeswater puzzle that Gansey is after..."

Book Review: The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

Every now and then, a book attacks me and holds on tight and when I finish with it, it refuses to let me go. That’s the case with the first book in the Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater, whom I declare to be my new favourite author. I came to this conclusion not far in, primarily because of her unique way of moulding her characters and settings, bringing everything literally to life. (Yes I know what “literally” means. I use it within the context of the story and the magic of Cabeswater.)

I’ve written off some authors because they obsess with describing everything with pretty metaphors that leave the plot behind. Here, the plot and characters are swept along in a river of descriptions that don’t so much use adjectives or comparisons, but exclusions – descriptions of what the character is not – or things they do or collect that define them. And most often, their actions, gestures and reactions. Because of this, her characters and places always give me a sense of movement, or in the case of Ronan, movement that could come at any moment. By far my favourite character, Ronan is a bundle of venom, poised like a sharp-clawed cat about to strike at any moment. Yet, Stiefvater also gives him the perfect amount of vulnerability and harsh truth to make him more than just the bitter character that should be detested or pitied.

Sometimes I got so wrapped up in her depictions that when I shook myself from their hypnotic power, I was afraid that I’d been carried away and missed what was going on. But nope. Everything was still clear and enticing and as the mystery deepened, I was pulled right along with it.

This is the story of Blue Sargent, a young adult with the ability to strengthen the psychic powers of the women around her, but lacking in those abilities herself. From a very young age, her fate – her curse – was revealed to her: true love’s kiss would bring the death of that person. (Sorry Disney.) Blue does not stress over this destiny until she meets Gansey’s spirit on the Corpse Road, and later meets Gansey himself, who turns out to be one of the dreaded Raven Boys of Aglionby Academy.

This is a young adult book and before I scare some of you away with the seemingly obvious sickly sweet romance plot, allow me to assure you that this is anything but the case. First of all, I really liked the maturity with which Steifvater presents the young adults in the book. The writing style is respectful of the teens Stiefvater writes about, as well as those who might be reading, while still appealing to me as an adult.

Secondly, there’s Gansey himself. He’s a young man born into generations of privilege to the point that he doesn’t understand how his offers of money to those less fortunate can be taken as deeply offensive. He has a good heart and his mind functions on a strong sense of right and wrong and of concrete evidence, even when dealing with the unknown, such as his obsession. Somewhere along the way, I equated Gansey to Bruce Wayne (sorry, Gansey) for the way he gathers those in need to him and they all look to him for command, if not support, and how he can shift into his rich boy persona to handle a situation, but his true self is the one obsessed with finding ley lines and the secret of a dead king.

Gansey and Blue are destined to meet, obviously, but I loved the way everything wrapped together. Nothing was extraneous or added to mislead. And when new elements popped up, they were shocking, culminating in a tense ending. Or rather, the beginning. This is the first in a the Raven Cycle and the end of The Raven Boys works like a fantastic door, opening onto all sorts of new mysteries that I’m really excited to find out about. But as if I needed more motivation, the very last line ensured that I will be grabbing book 2 as soon as I can.

5 of 5 stars

Cover Lover: Maggie Stiefvater Edition

Welcome to Cover Lover, a feature on this blog dedicated to book covers! For a long time, I'd wanted a place where I can share some of my favorite covers, or talk about any that might have caught my eye. So when I came across this idea on fellow gamer/book lover Angelya's site The Oaken Bookcase, I jumped at the opportunity to adopt it as well. The "meme" was originally created by another friend of mine, Jaedia, on her book blog Once Upon A Time, so be sure to check out both their sites and take a look at some of the covers they have featured.

Today I want to share several of Maggie Stiefvater's books that have had a way of attracting my attention by their cover images alone. My eyes immediately went to them amidst the dozens of other books the shelf, and I'm always amazed at how they all manage to do so utilizing a single color scheme.

Take The Wolves of Mercy Falls trilogy, for example. Years ago I borrowed the audiobooks from the library, even though at the time I hadn't even heard of the series, and I'll admit it was all because I thought the covers were gorgeous, especially the first book Shiver. The first time, I almost missed that wolf silhouette in the corner!

Then there is The Scorpio Races. Between reprints and international editions there's a whole slew of covers for this title, actually, but interestingly enough most of them tend to play on the color scheme red.

I'm actually not all that fond of the original hardcover image now that I've seen the others; it's a little too Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron for me, I guess!

Now that I've seen the other versions, I think I much prefer any of those. But still, I gotta ask, that's with the heart on this Scholastic paperback edition? Seriously.

My favorite cover for this book though, is probably the new one from Scholastic. Simply gorgeous.

If interested, you can check out my review for The Scorpio Races here.

The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater

The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater

I remember when I was a kid, I was obsessed with the classic book Misty of Chincoteague by Marguerite Henry. I mean, what little girl doesn't love stories about horses and ponies, right? Well, The Scorpio Races is like the perfect book for that inner little girl in us all grown up.

Every November, people from all over the world swarm to the small island of Thisby for the famous Scorpio Races, where tourists and the local population alike place huge bets on the riders and their horses. Thing is, the mounts involved aren't your regular Thoroughbreds or Appaloosas. Instead, the jockeys ride capaill uisce, water horses native to Thisby. They're also carnivorous predators, known to prey on livestock and other animals on the island. Their fierce aggression and unpredictable temperaments also means they have no qualms about attacking humans, and it is common for riders to die in training or during the races every year.

Even though Kate "Puck" Connolly has had no experience with the races, she decides to sign up, even though she would be the first female ever to do so, and on her own regular dun mare to boot. At first, she does this in the hopes of delaying her older brother from from leaving Thisby permanently for the mainland, but when an eviction notice arrives, it becomes clear that she would have to win in order to save their house. Sean Kendrick, on the other hand, is a four-time champion and hence no stranger to the Scorpio Races. However, with his freedom and a beloved capaill uisce on the line, this year he has good reason to need to win too, for more than just the glory of being number one once more.

The lore behind the story was what initially drew me to this book. I was intrigued after hearing that Maggie Stiefvater drew inspiration from old Celtic legends about water horses, but the fact she was the author also made me hesitate for a long time before finally deciding to pick this up. Now I think she's a great writer, as I discovered for myself after reading her Wolves of Mercy Falls books. The thing is, that young adult trilogy turned out to be not quite what I was looking for with its tale of puppy love and teenage melodrama. It made me wonder if The Scorpio Races would also prove "too YA" for my tastes.

I needn't have been concerned. While it's true that the book's target may be the YA market, the story and the characters in it feel much more mature and serious to me, a lot more so than in Shiver, Linger and Forever. The relationship that inevitably blossoms between Sean and Puck comes off more natural and realistic, with minimal angst and cloying sentimentality involved. Theirs is a deeper romance compared to a lot what I've read in YA fiction, and I think perhaps I feel this way because the story deals with heavier and more intense themes. Ultimately, the book is as much about the people as it is about the horses, and for the most part I really enjoyed it.

Still, there were certain things that prevented me from getting fully immersed. While I applaud Maggie Stiefvater's creativity and imagination when she took a myth and came up with this world with an island and its annual water horse races, there's still a lot about this concept that doesn't sit right with me. I suppose the idea of killer horses is kind of neat, but I have to say the cool detachment with which many of the characters react towards the many deaths is a little baffling. Quite a few people fall prey to the capaill uisce throughout the course of this novel, but there is never much follow-up beyond the initial shock, with the exception of the one funeral we get to see. I get that the festival and the race is big for the islanders, but hasn't anyone wondered if all the maiming and dying is really worth it? And why is Puck's older brother so blasé about her decision to race? Why don't we see more concern from loved ones?

The plot is also quite thin in a few places. For example, I never truly understood Puck's motivations for joining the race. In fact, it was a question she posed herself many times in the book, but none of the explanations offered really worked to convince me. After all, when I think about what people usually do when they are strapped for cash and about to lose their house, signing up for a dangerous and potentially lethal activity you're grossly unqualified for probably isn't the first thing most would do. It's like waking up one morning and endeavoring to be a NASCAR champion and thinking you can handle it even though you know you are only a fair to semi-decent driver. You'd think the logical thing to do would be to exhaust all other options first, and the fact Puck never even attempts to do so still bothers me.

Despite all that, this was still quite good. It's probably my favorite book by this author so far, and I don't regret for a second giving it a chance. I've said it before and I'll say it again, Maggie is a master storyteller and has a beautiful and talented way with words. When it comes to YA fiction, to me she's one of the best.

Final Verdict:

3.5 out of 5 stars