Reading on a Theme: Girl Assassins

This post is filled with great reads and strong female leads. The girl assassin, though tougher than most in many ways, also seems to have an underlying vulnerability that lends a great deal of richness to her character and the novel as a whole.

Historical Fantasy:
Mortal Heart is Annith's story and the third and final installment in Robin LaFevers's His Fair Assassin trilogy. Annith, like her sisters, has been trained to be Mortain's assassin. The Abbess wants her take over the role of seeress. For Annith, who has been itching to leave the convent and use her acquired skills, this is the last straw. She cannot be trapped at the convent forever. So she leaves under the cover of night. Mortal Heart has a lot of pieces to put together in order for the whole trilogy to make sense. And wow. Some of those secrets were huge. I appreciate the intricacies of the world that Robin LaFevers created and the melding of the historical and the fantastical. 

Futuristic Dystopia:
Juliette has been in prison for 274 days. Her touch is lethal, and she was imprisoned for accidentally killing someone. Juliette lives in a collapsed world that was recently taken over by the Reestablishment. The Reestablishment sees a lot of potential in Juliette and wants to woe or coerce her into being their weapon, the ultimate assassin. I must admit that I was disappointed with Shatter Me. I think maybe my expectations were too high. I walked away from it feeling rather indifferent. For me, the language in this book (lots of metaphors and superlatives) was perhaps a little over the top. However, it's probably just me. I know many who love Tahereh Mafi's series.

High Fantasy:

Twylla is Lormere's executioner. As Daunen Embodied, her skin kills on contact. She is subject to the whims of the queen and must kill on her demand. Things begin to change when Prince Merek returns from progress, and Twylla gets a new guard, Lief, from Tregellia, a country often at odds with Lormere. First of all, I must say, this cover is amazing. The Sin Eater's Daughter is a twisty little fantasy. It has a gloriously crafted religion, a ruthless, scary queen, two potential love interests, and it really surprised me. I really liked Melinda Salisbury's debut. The reviews seem to be all across the board on this one, but I'd read the sequel tomorrow, if I could. The Sin Eater's Daughter was out March 1, 2015. Review copy from Edelweiss.

High Fantasy:
Kristin Cashore's Graceling is one of my very favorite fantasies. Katsa lives in a land and time where a few people have developed super-human gifts called Graces. Katsa's has a killing Grace, and she's been a pawn of her uncle, the king, for most of her life, but lately she's begun to rebel, forming a Council that attempts to help instead of hurt people. On one of these Council missions Katsa meets a man who will change her life. I love Katsa. Her power and determination are awesome. I also love Po. Cashore's physical descriptions of this intriguing character with gold and silver eyes are superb. But what I really admire, is that Po didn't just aid in Katsa's growth, he also faces challenges that force him to change.
 

The Fan Favorite:
Celaena Sardothien is Adarlan's greatest assassin. Well, that was until she was captured and sent to the salt mines of Endovier. Her fortunes reverse when the Crown Prince, Dorian, picks her to serve as his champion in a competition that could win her freedom.  I love the complexity of Sarah J. Maas's world. Although we spend most of the book at the palace, there is plenty of action. In Celaena's is both prickly and so vulnerable, and I really felt how her experience in the salt mines affected her psyche. I also really liked Nehemia and Captain Chaol Westfall. While, it's clear the book is setting us up for a love triangle, I have no doubt who I'm routing for. I finished Throne of Glass eager to pick up the next in the series, which is always a good sign.


P.S. More assassins.

All reviews by JoLee.

Connections: Illusionarium by Heather Dixon

I feel like I've been waiting forever for a new book from Heather Dixon. I so adored her first novel, Entwined, a retelling of the Twelve Dancing Princesses story. Now, four years later, we have a new book. Illusionarium is set in an alternate nineteenth-century Britain, known as Arthurise. A deadly illness that only strikes down women is devastating the nation. Jonathan, a medical student, serves as an apprentice to his father, the country's second-best surgeon. Seeking his father's help, the king reunites Jonathan's father with his mentor, the renowned Lady Florel Knight, but she isn't what she seems.

I started this book a few nights ago thinking, "I'll just read this for a few minutes." Famous last words, right? When I finally put it down and turned off the light, I was a quarter of the way through the book. I'd say Illusionarium was worth the wait.

I love the richness of detail in this book. I can picture the setting laid out in all its steampunk glory--from the floating city of Fata Morgana, to the ruins of Nod'ol, the ghastly masks of its inhabitants, and the Illusionarium arena. Illusionarium is a very visual book, which I'm certain can be connected to the fact that Heather Dixon is a visual artist (she's a storyboard artist for Disney Interactive) as well as an author.

I've read several young adult books this year that feature a young man as the main character, and I've found them all quite refreshing. In some ways Jonathan is a stereotypical YA protagonist in that he thinks he's nothing special, but then he ends up with some incredible and rare ability. This trope can get old, and I've been known to sigh over it, but it didn't bother me in the slightest in Illusionarium because Jonathan is also genuine and not at all infallible. Also, I quite liked that family, rather than romance, is at the heart of this novel. Jonathan's relationship with Anna and his friendship with Lockwood were definitely high points.

I'm really loving parallel realities right now, and Illusionarium combines the steampunk genre with the parallel reality set-up. And, in this case, two steampunk "Londons" are definitely better than one. I think I'd go so far to say that these alternate worlds share a connection to our own past. Lady Florel Knight must be linked to Florence Nightingale. Not only do they share similar names, but they both have the Crimean War and their medical professions in common.

Illusionarium is a steampunk, parallel reality tale with a little bit of horror thrown into the mix. It's creepy, fascinating, and other-worldly but not without innocence and hope, as well.

Here are a few other connections:

Cinder and Illusionarium: A devastating plague, a sick sister, and a desperate bargain to secure a cure.

The Fog Diver and Illusionarium: High-altitude cities, floating airships, and danger on the ground.

Illusions of Fate and Illusionarium: Besides the titles, both feature an alternate 19th-century Britain. Kiersten White's is called Albion.

A Thousand Pieces of You and Illusionarium: In both books, the main characters hop between parallel realities where they meet other versions of their friends and family members.

The Night Circus and Illusionarium: Each is centered around (and titled for) its high-stakes competition of magical illusions. (This comparison has been getting a lot of ink. It's even in the blurb.)

The Adventure of Pinocchio and Illusionarium: I see parallels between the Rivens and the donkeys in Collodi's classic tale. The more I think about this the more it rings true for me.


It's always lovely when great first novel is followed by a great second novel.

Illusionarium is out May 19th, 2015. Review copy from Edelweiss.

Pair It With: Challenger Deep and Made You Up

Within a month we have two books out that deal with issues of mental health and mental illness. Caden and Alex are main characters who cannot separate reality from delusion. These are important topics, and it is so refreshing to see authors tackling them with honesty.


Caden Bosch is coming unmoored. He is trapped between two worlds. In one world he lives with his parents and younger sister. At least he's pretty sure they are who they say they are. In another world he is on a voyage to explore Challenger Deep in the Marianas Trench aboard a ship full of misfits and contradictions. Reality, for Caden, is slipping away.

Challenger Deep is amazingly good and incredibly compelling. Neal Shusterman presents Caden's story in extremely short chapters that bounce back and forth between Caden's reality and his delusions. The story is told primarily in first person so it takes some effort on the readers part to put the pieces together when Caden cannot.

I found this book to be brilliantly written with an intentionality that is rare. The writing itself echoes Caden's experience. For example, the book begins in first person, and it's a bit confusing. Then, as Caden gets sicker he starts to feel like his mind is connected to everything in the world, and the narration switches to second person. The second person portions of the book are so disorienting and really help to convey the intensity of Caden's problem. When the narration once again returns to first person, it's an indication that Caden is beginning (he has a long way to go) to get better.  At this point things start coming together for the reader, as well, an indication of Caden's increased clarity.

The other thing that I really love about this book is how Caden's delusions are connected to his physical world. The reader begins to piece this together much sooner than Caden does. Those delusions are also so vibrantly real. I think one could argue that they act as an allegory for mental illness. Caden's voyage, the ship's crewman, the sea monsters, and the threat of mutiny convey the struggles of mental illness and the fight for recovery with a physicality that would not otherwise be possible.

The notes at the end of the book about Shusterman's family's own experiences with mental illness--the drawings were all done by his son Brendan during his illness--make the tale that much more poignant.

Challenger Deep was out April 21st, 2015.

Review copy from Edelweiss.

Alex Ridgemont is schizophrenic. Daily she battles her mind trying to determine what is real and what is a delusion. Made You Up chronicles Alex's senior year of high school which also happens to be her first year at a new school. There she meet Miles Ritcher, a boy that she thinks she recognizes as her first friend, but wasn't he a delusion? She doesn't know. As the year progresses, Alex falls in with a community service club run by Miles and populated with a interesting assortment of students. Weird things keep happening at Alex's school, but weird things always happen to Alex. How can she know what's real and what isn't and how can she get anyone to believe her?

I liked Made You Up. A lot. It was such a weird experience reading it because I truly had no idea what was real and what was delusion. Alex is the ultimate unreliable narrator after all, as she doesn't even know what is real. And, while I think I did a better job untangling reality from the delusions than Alex did, there were plenty of things that I got wrong. Overall, what I loved most about reading this book, is that it was such a different type of reading experience. In some ways, it was very conscious, and the book made my brain work in a different way than it normally does while I'm reading.

I also really enjoyed these characters. Alex and Miles are a unique pair. I was really rooting for them. The scenes with the two of them crackled with intensity. The cast of secondary characters is a lot of fun too. All the kids in the club are interesting, quirky people.

And, can I just talk about how impressed I am that Francesca Zappia wrote the bulk of this novel in middle school and high school. Middle school, people. I don't know what type of story lines I was coming up with in middle school, but there certainly wasn't anything that I would have ever considered sticking with until it was publishable.

Finally, I can't fail to mention this gorgeous cover. I'd hang it on my wall.

Made You Up is out May 19th, 2015.

Review copy from Edelweiss.

Reading on a Theme: Girl Spies

I feel like I've been working on this post forever. I listened to three of these books on audio (Etiquette & Espionage, An Ember in the Ashes, and Dark Triumph), and that definitely takes longer than reading. Still, I really enjoyed all the audio versions. Plus, I knew that a couple of books were coming out this spring that featured girl spies (Orphan Queen and An Ember in the Ashes), and I wanted them to be included in this post. That's why it's taken since January (when I started Dark Triumph) until May to finish up this post. It was worth the wait.

Steampunk Spy School:
When Sophronia Temminnick insists on unladylike behavior, such as snooping and dismantling mechanicals, her mother enrolls her at Mademoiselle Geraldine's Finishing Academy for Young Ladies of Quality. What her mother doesn't know is that this finishing school trains its pupils for covert operations, and Sophronia is just the kind of recruit they love. Gail Carriger's setting is steampunk perfection. The details in the Victorian Steampunk setting are really what make the story for me--the floating school, the mechanimals, the flyway men. If you enjoy boarding school shenanigans this book is a great choice. Sophronia is remarkably good at getting around the school undetected. Etiquette and Espionage is clever, silly, and good fun.

The Ousted Queen and the Vigilante:
Wilhelmina Korte is an outlaw, but she should be a queen. Part of the plan to take back Aecor from the Indigo Kingdom involves Wil and her best friend Melanie infiltrating the palace. There, as spies, they will gather the information they need to launch their attack. Jodi Meadows' novel is a sophisticated fantasy with so much good stuff in it. My favorite part of the story was Black Knife, a vigilante who fights crime. I love how, with Black Knife, The Orphan Queen book combines elements of high fantasy and superhero comics. Wilhelmina is pretty heroic herself. Besides having an awesome name, she has some serious fighting skills. The set up for the next in the series is fabulous. I had heard that the book has a serious cliff-hanger, and boy, does it ever. The Orphan Queen is out March 10th, 2015. Preview from Edelweiss.

The Slave Girl and the Future Emperor:
After Laia's brother is taken by the Martials, Laia seeks the help of the rebels, but their price is steep. Laia becomes a slave to the Commandant, the head of Blackcliff Military Academy (wow, she is terrifying), and a spy for the rebels. Elias is an Aspirant, one of four who could possibly become the next emperor. Elias has a secret. He wants out. He wants freedom. An Ember in the Ashes reminds me a bit of Red Rising and The Hunger Games. Each has a high-stakes, deadly competition, a ruthless government, and a perhaps less-than-altruistic resistance. Sabaa Tahir's debut, however, has more supernatural elements. I love the dark and violent Ancient Rome-inspired setting. An Ember in the Ashes is out April 28, 2015. Preview from NetGalley.

The Death God's Assassin:
Sybella is a spy in her father's house. Sent back to d'Albret by the Abbess of St. Mortain, Sybella is at the heart of the rebellion against Duchess Anne. The stakes are high in Grave Mercy, but in Dark Triumph everything is ratcheted up a notch. Not only are there political problems but very personal ones as well. For Sybella, this situation truly is one of life or death, and she may not escape with her sanity intact. I liked this second in Robin LaFever's series even more than the first. Dark Triumph, as the title implies, is darker than Grave Mercy, but, for me, that was part of the appeal. Also Beast. I love the Beast of Waroch. He was probably my favorite character in Grave Mercy, so I was just thrilled to be following his story this time around. And Beast and Sybella. They really work. Fabulous audio version, as well.

Courtly Intrigue in the Regency Period:
Dangerous Deceptions is the second in the Palace of Spies series, and I liked it better than the first. This book once again finds Peggy in the court of the Prince Regent. She has gained the trust of her sovereigns and has been kept on to continue rooting out deceivers in the court. In other words, she's a spy. In this book her spy work gets personal. She must put an end to this betrothal contract to the horrible Sebastian Sandford. And, if she roots out some Jacobites along the way, even better. Sarah Zettel's novel is just a lot of fun. I like Peggy's voice quite a lot. She navigates us through the maze of courtly politics quite well. It's an interesting period of history, and I, for one, enjoy being front and center, if you will, for all the underhanded courtly intrigue.  


P.S. More Girl Spies. 

All books reviewed by JoLee. 
 

Reading on a Theme: Red Riding Hood

In celebration of Rosamund Hodge's fantastic sophomore novel, Crimson Bound, out on May 5th, we have brought together a group of novels that retell, reenvision, and reimagine the Red Riding Hood story. We never get tired of fairy tales over here at Intellectual Recreation. Plus, don't their covers look amazing together? All those red cloaks. (They kind of creep me out. In a good way. See why.)

The Baby Sister:
Petunia was little more than a baby when she and her eleven sisters were forced to dance night after night in the kingdom under their castle. The wicked King Under Stone was destroyed, but there are new dangers lurking in the silver wood--wolves, grannies, and a new King Under Stone. Princess of the Silver Woods concluded the Princesses of Westfalin series beautifully. I enjoyed seeing Petunia as a nearly grown woman and I enjoyed returning to the Kingdom Under Stone. This is one of my favorite retellings of Red Riding Hood because Jessica Day George cleverly uses the basics of the original fairy tale while weaving in aspects of Robin Hood.
 

The Assassin Sisters:
Jackson Pearce's Sisters Red is a retelling where the Red girls are like Buffy, the woodcutter is a good-looking young man, are there are lots and lots of wolves. Oh, and they are evil and soulless, by the way. After a Fenris attack that kills their grandmother and leaves Scarlett terribly scarred, Scarlett devotes her life to fighting the Fenris, and drags Rosie along in her quest for their annihilation. I liked the idea. I like the cover. I liked the fairytale prologue a lot. However, the twist wasn't all that surprising to me, and I wasn't really feeling the love story either. I seem to be kind of talking myself out of a good review, but really, at the time, I thought it was okay.

 

The Forest Creature:

Remember last year when everyone was crazy about Rosamund Hodge's debut Cruel Beauty? Well, Crimson Bound is even better! Rachelle Brinon has always known that the forest holds danger. Marked by a forestborn, she is now a bloodbound and no longer quite human. Several Red Riding Hood tales recast the title character as a kick-butt fighter, but Rachelle is my favorite of the bunch. At once both prickly and vulnerable, her relationships with the other two main characters, Armand Vareilles and Erec d'Anjou are incredibly complicated. I loved the vaguely seventeenth-century French setting, and the way the details are woven into the plot really impressed me. Crimson Bound is out May 5th, 2015. Review copy from Edelweiss.

The Sci-fi Pilot:
Each book in Marisssa Meyer's stunning Lunar Chronicles is a sci-fi retelling of a classic fairy tale. Scarlet is the second in the series and it is, of course, a retelling of Red Riding Hood. Scarlet, with her red hoodie, is tough and awesome (and with a fabulous French accent). Wolf is a very nuanced character. One thing that I love about the Lunar Chronicles is that with every new book we get new characters and a new fairy tale, but we don't leave the old characters behind. Rather, the new characters continue to propel the plot forward, and, in this book, help uncover the mysteries that lingered from the first in the series. Truly one of my favorite series, I'm so excited to see how it all turns out in the series finale, Winter, that comes out later this year.

The Practical One:
Isabella Beauchamps' life is changed when she's bitten by a wolf in the woods. She is carted off to the home of Duke Sebastian where she discovers that he is the wolf who bit her the night before. She is stuck in his castle until the fairy godmothers can be sure she did not become a werewolf herself. My favorite thing about Mercedes Lackey's world is the magic called the Tradition. It is a force that tries to make everyone's lives follow a fairy tale story line. I found myself wishing the Tradition was introduced earlier in the book, but that may not have been an issue if I had read another of her books first. I enjoyed Beauty and the Werewolf's combination of Little Red Riding Hood and Beauty and the Beast, even though the title and cover put me off at first.


Princess of the Silver Woods and Beauty and the Werewolf reviewed by Paige.
Sisters Red, Crimson Bound and Scarlet reviewed by JoLee.

More fairy tale retellings: here and here.