Monthly Archives: October 2015

Oct 26 2015
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Book Review: The Caretaker’s Guide to Fablehaven by Brandon Mull

The Caretaker's Guide to Fablehaven by Brandon Mull

Title: The Caretaker’s Guide to Fablehaven

Author: Brandon Mull, Brandon Dorman

Series: Fablehaven #5.5

Genre: Middle Grade

Rating: 5/5 stars

The Overview: The 3.5 million fans who bought Fablehaven know the series has many imaginative mythical creatures especially dragons. Every one of the dragons has a name and a special power and they all look different and are described in words, but they existed only in our imagination….UNTIL NOW. The Caretaker’s Guide to Fablehaven is the first visual discovery of the creatures in the series and is written as if the reader is the new caretaker of the Fablehaven preserve. It has all sorts of insider’s knowledge the new caretaker of Fablehaven would have to know, such as dragon tears are very powerful in making potions but they are extremely difficult to come by and cruel people have been known to torment young dragons just to collect tears!  So don’t YOU want to be their caretaker?

Entries detail important information about artifacts large and small, a complete bestiary of creatures (from fairies to trolls to satyrs), a guide to identifying demons, dragons, and wizards as well as valuable insights into the other magical preserves. Scattered throughout the book are colorful fairies that also mark some of the characters, artifacts, and creatures that will be featured in the upcoming sequel series, Dragonwatch.

The Review:

I am a HUGE fan of the Fablehaven series. Not since Harry Potter has a middle grade series caught and maintained my adult (and I use that term loosely) attentions and tastes with such alacrity. I’ve read them all several times, and finishing the final chapter is always bittersweet – it ends so well, but I never want it to stop. BUT NOW THE JOURNEY CONTINUES!!! And I couldn’t be more thrilled.

The Caretaker’s Guide is just what the doctor ordered to hold me over until the new novel (Dragonwatch) comes out in fall 2016. I’ve always thought the art throughout the series was part of what helped make it so special – I’d constantly find myself eager to get the next scene depiction hidden amongst the pages. Bringing those gorgeous illustrations all into one place with multiple character and creature profiles resulted in the coolest guidebook I’ve ever seen. I think every fan of the series would enjoy seeing so many aspects brought to life. I will definitely be snagging a physical copy for my own collection asap.

What’s more, there are hints and clues within the pages hinting to what we can expect in Dragonwatch. I was excited before, but I’m through the roof now! Brandon Mull took my favorite part of the Fablehaven saga (the dragon sanctuaries) and wrote AN ENTIRE SERIES around it. If you’re as excited as I am, take a peek at this guidebook – you won’t be disappointed!

Here are the Fablehaven books with their beautiful cover art… read them:

*I want to thank Brandon Mull, Shadow Mountain Publishing, and NetGalley for approving an early copy of this title – you made an uber fan very happy! :-)

by Niki Hawkes

Oct 8 2015
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ARC Book Review: Soundless by Richelle Mead

Soundless by Richelle Mead

Title: Soundless

Author: Richelle Mead

Series: Stand-Alone

Genre: Teen Fiction

Release Date: November 10, 2015

Rating: 4/5 stars

The Overview: For as long as Fei can remember, there has been no sound in her village, where rocky terrain and frequent avalanches prevent residents from self-sustaining. Fei and her people are at the mercy of a zipline that carries food up the treacherous cliffs from Beiguo, a mysterious faraway kingdom. When villagers begin to lose their sight, deliveries from the zipline shrink and many go hungry. Fei’s home, the people she loves, and her entire existence is plunged into crisis, under threat of darkness and starvation. But soon Fei is awoken in the night by a searing noise, and sound becomes her weapon.

The Review:

Since I’d been stalking the author, the publisher, and all my blogging friends for the chance to snag an early copy of Soundless since the cover was first revealed in March, you can imagine how off-the-wall excited I was to be selected by Penguin’s First to Read program to receive a digital copy (thank you First to Read – you made my year!).

And, at the end of the day, all that clamoring was worth it – Soundless was a great read!

The setting, cultural immersion, and unique conflict (nobody in this mining town can hear, and now they’re all starting to lose their vision, too) were easily my favorite elements to the story. I can honestly say I’ve never read anything quite like it, so major kudos to Mead for originality.

But all the great atmosphere in the world wouldn’t be worth as much if there weren’t also compelling characters to go along with it. I really enjoyed seeing the world through Fei’s eyes (and hearing it, for that matter – it was fascinating to be immersed in someone experiencing sound for the first time). I also loved her interactions with the other characters – specifically with her sister and the love interest. Fei always seemed a strong, capable girl, and that’s definitely what I like to see in my YA heroines. Could she have possibly used her sharp wit a little more often? Probably, but I think that over-criticism stems from how enamored I still am with the brilliance that is Sydney Sage (Bloodlines), so I guess maybe I should cut Fei some slack. :-)

I’ve read everything Richelle Mead has published, and one of the main reasons she’s one of my top authors is the experience she creates by building this amazing momentum across each respective series. The stories always climb steadily for a long while before finally hurtling towards the end like one giant snowball. It’s truly fantastic! And while I feel Soundless had a decent bit of that momentum, at the end of the day, there’s just no way for a stand-alone novel to compete with a six book series – there’s just simply not enough time! I believe this is the only reason I wasn’t quite as emotionally invested as I have been with her works in the past, but Soundless was still a great story – one I’m sure I’ll find myself recommending often.

Other books you might like:

by Niki Hawkes

Oct 2 2015
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Tackling the TBR [6]: October 2015

tackling the TBR

October is here (and where the heck did September go so fast? I’d like to know…) and it’s once again time for my favorite feature: Tackling the TBR! There’s nothing I love more than picking out which books to read next, and this slightly organized method of reading has really amped my enjoyment to the next level. Bring on the mantras!

Read the best books first.
&
Life is too short to read books you’re not enjoying.

However you put together your TBR for the next month, the goal is to reduce the amount of obligation in reading and increase the fun.

And that’s exactly what it did – last month was an awesome month – I read about half of the books on my TBR Tackler Shelf (which, for my current state of improving eye health, was awesome), And am probably halfway through most of the remaining titles (I read more than one book at a time… Does anybody else do that?).

Here’s a look at how the system works:

1. Identify the titles that take top priority in your TBR.
2. Combine them all in your own Tackling the TBR post.
3. Throughout the month pick from that pile as the mood strikes you.

Here’s what mine looks like:

October 2015 TBR Tackler Shelf:

Of all these titles, I’m probably most excited for the new Jim Butcher book! Although the conclusion to the Paradox series by Rachel Bach is also incredibly appealing…

Now, I can tell you from experience that this Tackling the TBR experiment is so much more fun and rewarding when there’s more than one person (me) participating. Does anybody want to play along?

Even if you don’t specifically use my system, feel free to share your versions of how you manage your TBR pile (and the links to your posts if applicable) in the comments!

Maybe we can help make each other’s systems even better. :)

What books are you Tackling this month?

by Niki Hawkes