Apr 28 2013

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5/28 Coming Soon: Antiagon Fire

Title: Antiagon Fire

Author: L. E. Modesitt, Jr.

Series: Imager’s Portfolio #7

Genre: Fantasy

Release Date: May 28, 2013

The Overview: The hard-won battles fought in Imager’s Battalion have earned Quaeryt a promotion to commander, as well as an assignment to convince the Pharsi High Council in the nation of Khel to submit to Lord Bhayar’s rule, which is key to Bhayar’s ambition to unite all of Solidar. Joined by his pregnant wife Vaelora, who is also Bhayar’s sister, Quaeryt leads an army and a handful of imagers deeper into the hostile lands once held by the tyrannical Rex Kharst, facing stiff-necked High Holders, attacks by land and sea—including airborne fire launched by hostile imagers from the land of Antiago—and a mysterious order of powerful women who seem to recognize the great destiny that awaits Quareyt and Vaelora, as well as the cost of achieving it.

Nik’s Notes:

I’ve heard that this author has a tendency to be a bit dry, and actually experienced it firsthand in his Soprano Sorceress series. I have also heard from those same people that his Corean Chronicles and Imager Portfolio series are just as slow, but definitely worth reading. The premise for this particular series sounds amazing, and within the hundreds of books on my TBR list, this one has made its way up to the top 20. As for those of you eagerly anticipating this book, you only have one more month to go! His next installment Rex Regis, comes out in January 2014. Other than that, I couldn’t find any information regarding how long the series is supposed to be. If his Recluse series is anything to go by, it’s going to be a long one.

Apr 23 2013

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Top Ten Tuesday – Top Ten Books I Thought I’d Like MORE/LESS Than I Did! (4/23/2013)

Top 10 Tuesday is a feature hosted every week by The Broke and the Bookish. I love it because it gives me a chance to sit and stare at my library once a week and admire all the excellent books I’ve read. This weeks category is:

Top Ten Books I Thought I’d Like MORE/LESS Than I Did

Less:

: The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

: Kushiel’s Dart by Jacqueline Carey

: Succubus Blues by Richelle Mead

: Dead Witch Walking by Kim Harrison

: Beautiful Disaster by Jamie Maguire

#1 The Night Circus: I am really picky with ARCs and don’t usually take home any fiction because I never end up reading them. So when this one came out of the box, something abobut it perked my interest and I broke my rule and took it home, and I am so glad I did. It was beautiful, magical, and absorbing and to this day one of the best books that I’ve ever read.

#2 Kushiel’s Dart: I bought this one based on a recommend from a trusted coworker. For the longest time I kept passing it over because, frankly, I thought the premise sounded a little boring. When I finally did get around to it I kicked myself for not picking it up sooner. It has every element I expect from a good book and more.

#3 Succubus Blues: Honestly I found the cover somewhat less than appealing, but I really loved the vampire Academy books, so I thought I would give it a try. I am a really scattered reader and almost never read sequels back-to-back. I devoured this entire series in about a week and a half and to this day it is still one of my all-time favorites.

#4 Dead Witch Walking: I didn’t really find the covers of these to compelling at first (they’ve gotten a lot better as of late) but I was just getting into the urban fantasy genre and had my go-to person for book recommends tell me it was worth reading. The first hundred pages or so where a bit of a struggle, but after that the entire series captured me. These books are amazing and they have some of the best sidekicks of any series I’ve ever read. Read full review

#5 Beautiful Disaster: I am sure I am not the only person who does this, but I picked this one up solely because I received an ARC for the second book. And I love it. In my review, I had some criticisms of basic outlining for the story but other than that found the book to be incredibly absorbing and fun. I have resolve to read anything else this author writes because her writing was outstanding! Read full review

More:

: Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes

: Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore

: The Maze Runner by James Dashner

: Eve & Adam by K.A. Applegate and Michael Grant

: Inkheart by Cornelia Funke

#6 Falling Kingdoms: I find it exhausting to consider all the things I didn’t like about this book. No world building, too many viewpoint characters, and a week outline to name a few. Awesome cover gods – you really let me down here. Read full review

#7 Inkheart: I have yet to hear another negative review of this book, so I’m the absolute minority. But come on! The story is about a girl who can bring characters from her books to life. The possibilities are endless!! And, sadly, untapped. Not more than a handful of characters ever made their way out from the pages. And the girl spent a great deal of time wandering from one place to another trying to figure out what was going on. I’m angry for what this book could have been.

#8 Bitterblue: Graceling was one of my favorite books ever (and fire was pretty good too). I had host of issues with this particular book, however, and I was certain that I would love it. Not so… Read full review

#9 The Maze Runner: This one was probably my biggest disappointment out of everything on this list. It’s one of the bestsellers of the teen fantasy genre that people absolutely rave about it. It also has one of the coolest concepts of any series I’ve ever read, so it’s a real shame that the author didn’t take it where I thought I could go. Withholding information to create suspense can work to an authors favor, but all of the false tension made me tired of not knowing what was going on (and bored).

#10 Eve & Adam: Written by the author that got me hooked on reading as a kid with the Animorph series, I snagged this one the minute it hit the shelf. Unfortunately, despite some really strong writing passages near the beginning of the book, the story left me seriously wanting. Read full review

Apr 22 2013

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Your Pick for Nik! – May’s Nominations

To cast your vote, just leave a comment indicating your chosen titles (up to 3) – and may the best book win!

It’s that time again for us to pick our next book!

Voting starts today (April 22, 2013) and you’ll have all the way until Sunday the 28th to choose your favorites (Remember: YOU CAN VOTE FOR MORE THAN 1).

For those of you new to the book club, Your Pick for Nik! is a monthly feature where I turn over control of my reading list to you!

Here’s how it works: I will nominate titles from my TBR list and YOU will choose which one gets featured. It can be one you’ve already read and want to discuss, one you want to read but wish to see my feedback on first, or – and this is my favorite part – you can read it along with me!

Depicted below are my 10 nominees for April. Simply vote for your favorites, and let the best book win! At 10:00 am (MST) on Monday the 29th I will announce the winner. Come the end of May, I will post a thorough review of the chosen title – and hopefully find out what you thought of it as well!

This month, I included a few popular selections from last month per request.

April’s Nominations:

Title: Orphans of Chaos

Author: John C. Wright

Series: Orphans of Chaos #1

Genre: Fantasy

Overview: What if your teachers taught you everything-except who you really are?

For Amelia and her friends, the strict English boarding school she lives in is all she has ever known. The sprawling estate, bordered by unknown territory on all four sides, is both orphanage, academy, and prison. The school has a large staff, but only five students, none of whom know what their real names are, or even how old they are.

Precocious and rebellious, all five teenagers are more than just prodigies. Amelia can see in four dimensions. Victor can control the molecular arrangement of matter. Vanity can find secret passageways where none existed before. Colin is a psychic. Quentin is a warlock.

And, as time goes by, they’re starting to suspect that none of them are entirely human . . .

Title: Midshipwizard Halcyon Blithe

Author: James M. Ward

Series: Halcyon Blithe #1

Genre: Fantasy

Overview: Halcyon Blithe, being a young man of good breeding and lineage as well as endowed with those qualities and abilities of a sorcerous nature and wishing to fulfill his full potential, is ready to assume his proper place in the world. He aims to seek his fortune among those who tend and sail the awesome nautical juggernauts-the dragonships. With this is mind, Blithe gladly accepts his rank as Midshipwizard and becomes a member of the crew who man the dragonships-vessels which harness the bodies and strength of living dragons with seafaring technology.

Combining elements of Hornblower with Harry Potter, and Robert Louis Stevenson with Robin Hobb, Midshipwizard Halcyon Blithe is a nautical tale rich in magic and intrigue. A tale set against a panorama of fantastic naval battle as we follow the career of a young midshipwizard as he moves up through the ranks of His Majesty’s Navy.

Title: The Darkest Minds

Author: Alexandra Bracken

Series: Darkest Minds #1

Genre: Teen Fantasy

Overview: When Ruby woke up on her tenth birthday, something about her had changed. Something alarming enough to make her parents lock her in the garage and call the police. Something that gets her sent to Thurmond, a brutal government “rehabilitation camp.” She might have survived the mysterious disease that’s killed most of America’s children, but she and the others have emerged with something far worse: frightening abilities they cannot control.

Now sixteen, Ruby is one of the dangerous ones.

When the truth comes out, Ruby barely escapes Thurmond with her life. Now she’s on the run, desperate to find the one safe haven left for kids like her—East River. She joins a group of kids who escaped their own camp. Liam, their brave leader, is falling hard for Ruby. But no matter how much she aches for him, Ruby can’t risk getting close. Not after what happened to her parents.

Title: Dualed

Author: Elsie Chapman

Genre: Teen Fantasy

Overview: The Hunger Games meets Matched in this thrilling high-concept YA where citizens must prove their worth by defeating the other version of themselves—their twin.

Two of you exist. Only one will survive. The city of Kersh is a safe haven, but the price of safety is high. Everyone has a genetic Alternate—a twin raised by another family—and citizens must prove their worth by eliminating their Alts before their twentieth birthday. Survival means advanced schooling, a good job, marriage—life.

Fifteen-year-old West Grayer has trained as a fighter, preparing for the day when her assignment arrives and she will have one month to hunt down and kill her Alt. But then a tragic misstep shakes West’s confidence. Stricken with grief and guilt, she’s no longer certain that she’s the best version of herself, the version worthy of a future. If she is to have any chance of winning, she must stop running not only from her Alt, but also from love . . . though both have the power to destroy her.

Title: Pure

Author: Julianna Baggot

Series: Pure #1

Genre: Fantasy

Overview: We know you are here, our brothers and sisters . . .
Pressia barely remembers the Detonations or much about life during the Before. In her sleeping cabinet behind the rubble of an old barbershop where she lives with her grandfather, she thinks about what is lost-how the world went from amusement parks, movie theaters, birthday parties, fathers and mothers . . . to ash and dust, scars, permanent burns, and fused, damaged bodies. And now, at an age when everyone is required to turn themselves over to the militia to either be trained as a soldier or, if they are too damaged and weak, to be used as live targets, Pressia can no longer pretend to be small. Pressia is on the run.

Beyonders by Brandon Mull

Title: Beyonders: A World Without Heroes

Author: Brandon Mull

Series: Beyonders #1

Genre: Young Reader

Overview: Jason Walker has often wished his life could be a bit less predictable—until a routine day at the zoo ends with Jason suddenly transporting from the hippo tank to a place unlike anything he’s ever seen. In the past, the people of Lyrian welcomed visitors from the Beyond, but attitudes have changed since the wizard emperor Maldor rose to power. The brave resistors who opposed the emperor have been bought off or broken, leaving a realm where fear and suspicion prevail.

In his search for a way home, Jason meets Rachel, who was also mysteriously drawn to Lyrian from our world. With the help of a few scattered rebels, Jason and Rachel become entangled in a quest to piece together the word of power that can destroy the emperor and learn that their best hope to find a way home will be to save this world without heroes.

Title: Alien Taste

Author: Wen Spen

Series: Ukiah Oregon #1

Genre: Scifi/Urban

Overview: Abandoned as a child, Ukiah Oregon was found running with a wolf pack. Now considered one of the greatest trackers in the country, this private investigator puts his nose to the ground to track down missing fugitives. When he crosses paths with a criminal gang called the Pack, Ukiah discovers just how much he has in common with the Pack.

Title: Hex Hall

Author: Rachel Hawkins

Series: Hex Hall #1

Genre: Teen Paranormal Romance

Overview: Three years ago, Sophie Mercer discovered that she was a witch. It’s gotten her into a few scrapes. Her non-gifted mother has been as supportive as possible, consulting Sophie’s estranged father–an elusive European warlock–only when necessary. But when Sophie attracts too much human attention for a prom-night spell gone horribly wrong, it’s her dad who decides her punishment: exile to Hex Hall, an isolated reform school for wayward Prodigium, a.k.a. witches, faeries, and shapeshifters.

Title: Legend

Author: Marie Lu

Series: Legend #1

Genre: Teen Fantasy

Overview: What was once the western United States is now home to the Republic, a nation perpetually at war with its neighbors. Born into an elite family in one of the Republic’s wealthiest districts, fifteen-year-old June is a prodigy being groomed for success in the Republic’s highest military circles. Born into the slums, fifteen-year-old Day is the country’s most wanted criminal. But his motives may not be as malicious as they seem. From very different worlds, June and Day have no reason to cross paths—until the day June’s brother, Metias, is murdered and Day becomes the prime suspect. Caught in the ultimate game of cat and mouse, Day is in a race for his family’s survival, while June seeks to avenge Metias’s death. But in a shocking turn of events, the two uncover the truth of what has really brought them together, and the sinister lengths their country will go to keep its secrets.

Glaswright’s Apprentice by Mindy L. Klasky

Title: The Glasswrights’ Apprentice

Author: Mindy L. Klasky

Series: Glasswright #1

Genre: Fantasy

Overview: A mere glasswrights’ apprentice must uncover an elusive brotherhood whose deadly venom reaches out to stain the heart of her guild, the heart of her family — and the heart of her king….

Apr 16 2013

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Top Ten Tuesday – Top 10 Obscure Series in My TBR Pile! (4/16/2013)

Top Ten Tuesday is a feature hosted by The Broke & The Bookish that allows book lovers to geek out about their best reads. This week’s topic is known as a “rewind” which means we all get to pick our category. I’ve chosen:

Top 10 Obscure Series in My TBR Pile!

It’s important to note my definition of obscure, here: it’s any series that I’ve never had anybody request or refer to in my ten years of bookselling experience, nor have I ever seen them in my blog feed. Despite that, these books somehow found their way to my shelf anyway and have all managed to survive at least five library purges. Unheard of doesn’t mean not good. 6 out of my top 14 favorite fantasy books of all-time could have easily been in this list ten years ago.

: Aurian by Maggie Furey

: Orphans of Chaos by John C. Wright

: Glaswright’s Apprentice by Mindy L. Klasky

: Path of Fate by Diana Pharaoh Francis

: Son of Avonar by Carol Berg

: Touched by Venom

: The Sword by Deborah Chester

: Midshipwizard Halcyon Blithe

: Swords of Riverside by Ellen Kushner

: Stardoc by S.L. Viehl

Here’s some title overviews:

#1 Aurian: To the city of Nexis, where Magefolk rule uneasily over a race of mortals, a young girl named Aurian comes to learn the magic arts. Her dormant powers are coveted by the corrupt Archmage, who intends to possess her. When she rejects him for a mortal, the enraged Archmage plans his revenge.

#2 Orphans of Chaos: For Amelia and her friends, the strict English boarding school she lives in is all she has ever known. The sprawling estate, bordered by unknown territory on all four sides, is both orphanage, academy, and prison. The school has a large staff, but only five students, none of whom know what their real names are, or even how old they are. Precocious and rebellious, all five teenagers are more than just prodigies. Amelia can see in four dimensions. Victor can control the molecular arrangement of matter. Vanity can find secret passageways where none existed before. Colin is a psychic. Quentin is a warlock. And, as time goes by, they’re starting to suspect that none of them are entirely human . . .

#3 The Glasswrights’ Apprentice: A mere glasswrights’ apprentice must uncover an elusive brotherhood whose deadly venom reaches out to stain the heart of her guild, the heart of her family — and the heart of her king….

#4 Path of Fate: In the land of Kodu Riik, it is an honor to be selected by the Lady to become an ahalad-kaaslane-to have your soul bonded with one of Her blessed animals, and roam the land serving Her will. But Riesil refuses to bow to fate-a decision that may have repercussions across the realm…

#5 Son of Avonar: Magic is forbidden throughout the Four Realms. For decades, sorcerers and those associating with them were hunted to near extinction. But Seri, a Leiran noblewoman living in exile, is no stranger to defying the unjust laws of her land. She is sheltering a wanted fugitive who possesses unusual abilities-a fugitive with the fate of the realms in his hands…

#6 Touched by Venom: Desperate to find Waivia, Zarq and her delirious mother flee through the underworld of their land – from the Zone of the Dead to a sanctuary for outcast dragons, through discovery and persecution. Consumed with the desire for revenge, Zarq develops a taste for the highly addictive venom drawn from the dragons she has been taught to revere, and sinks into a realm of bizarre magics. Here, influenced by the divine grace of dragon memories, Zarq glimpses possibilities of revenge and social revolution. But to achieve them, she must defy not just the sexual taboos and patriarchal conventions of her society, but the Emperor who rules her nation.

#7 The Sword: Two men. One is a prince of royal blood. The other is a half-breed, part human, part elf. But the part that is human is also royal.Two women. One is a princess, pampered and protected. The other lives in the forest, the leader of a band of rebels. She too has elven blood. This is their story — the tale of love and hate, courage and cowardliness, and magic both dark and light.

#8 Midshipwizard Halcyon Blithe: Halcyon Blithe, being a young man of good breeding and lineage as well as endowed with those qualities and abilities of a sorcerous nature and wishing to fulfill his full potential, is ready to assume his proper place in the world. He aims to seek his fortune among those who tend and sail the awesome nautical juggernauts-the dragonships. With this in mind, Blithe gladly accepts his rank as Midshipwizard and becomes a member of the crew who man the dragonships-vessels which harness the bodies and strength of living dragons with seafaring technology. Combining elements of Hornblower with Harry Potter, and Robert Louis Stevenson with Robin Hobb, Midshipwizard Halcyon Blithe is a nautical tale rich in magic and intrigue. A tale set against a panorama of fantastic naval battle as we follow the career of a young midshipwizard as he moves up through the ranks of His Majesty’s Navy

#9 Swords of Riverside: Welcome to Riverside, where the aristocratic and the ambitious battle for power in the city’s ballroom, brothels and boudoirs. Into this alluring world walks Katherine, a well-bred country girl versed in the rules of conventional society. Her mistake is thinking that they apply. For Katherine’s host and uncle, Alec Campion, aka the Mad Duke Tremontaine, is in charge here—and to him, rules are made to be broken. When Alec decides it would be more amusing for his niece to learn swordplay than to follow the usual path to marriage, her world changes forever. Blade in hand, it’s up to Katherine to navigate a maze of secrets and scoundrels and to gain the self-discovery that comes to those who master: the privilege of the sword.

#10 Stardoc: Dr. Cherijo Grey Veil leaves Earth and accepts a position as a physician at Kevarzanga-2’s FreeClinic. Her surgical skills are desperately needed on a hostile frontier world with over 200 sentient species–and her understanding of alien physiology is nothing short of miraculous. But the truth behind her expertise is a secret which, if discovered, could have disastrous consequences between human and alien relations..

Apr 10 2013

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Book Review: The Ghost King by R.A. Salvatore

Title: The Ghost King

Author: R. A. Salvatore

Series: Transitions III

Genre: Fantasy

Rating: 5/5 stars!!

The Overview: When the Spellplague ravages Faerûn, Drizzt and his companions are caught in the chaos. Seeking out the help of the priest Cadderly–the hero of the recently reissued series The Cleric Quintet–Drizzt finds himself facing his most powerful and elusive foe, the twisted Crenshinibon, the demonic crystal shard he believed had been destroyed years ago.

The Review:

One of the best ones yet! I laughed, I cried, I enjoyed the snot out of this book. Just when I think I’ve read everything he has to offer he comes out with an excellent novel like this that reminds me why I loved the series in the first place.

The last book (The Pirate King) focused more on political uprisings and storylines of secondary characters. While interesting in their own right, I’m glad to be getting back to these beloved characters that could frankly be doing anything at this point and I would still enjoy reading about it. There are so many great characters with epic histories packed into this novel that I wondered how Salvatore manages to keep them feeling rounded and fresh. Most notably is the reappearance of one of my favorite characters, Jarlaxle. He’s one of the best characters in fantasy because he’s dynamic – you are never quite sure whether he’s on our hero’s side and it’s always interesting to see what he does next! I also appreciated the villain of this particular book although the names were so wonky I had a difficult time keeping all of them straight. Without physical bodies as reference (you’ll see) it made those passages a bit boring because they flew right over my head.

Overall, the book felt like the culmination of everything we’ve read so far into one incredibly grand climax to the series. There were several clever tiebacks to past books, and it really had the best bits from everything. This is a fabulous series that I think any fantasy lover shouldn’t be without! There is definitely a bit of violence and darkness in this series, but nothing overly graphic. I usually feel comfortable recommending this everyone 13+.

by Niki Hawkes

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