Blog Tour Review & Book/Swag Giveaway (INT): The Summer of Shambles by Ebony McKenna

The Summer of Shambles

Ebony McKenna

Goodreads | Amazon | Tour 

Publication Date: April 5th 2010

Publisher: Egmont

Pages: 305 (2013 Ebook Edition)

Genre:  Comedy, Fantasy-esque, Young Adult

15-year-old Ondine is struggling to fit in at Psychic Summercamp and doubts she possesses any of her family’s magical abilities. She resolves to leave, determined to follow her own path and be a normal teenager. Whatever normal is in a place like Brugel.

On the way home Ondine is shocked when her pet ferret Shambles starts talking – in a cheeky Scottish accent no less! He is in fact a young man trapped in a witch’s curse. When he briefly transforms into his human self, Ondine is smitten. If only she can break the spell for good, Shambles can be handsomely human on a full-time basis.

During the summer, these two misfits uncover a plot to assassinate a member of the royal family and discover a secret treasure that has remained hidden for decades. This attracts the attention of the arrogant Lord Vincent, and Ondine can’t help being drawn in by his bad-boy charm.

With so many demands on Ondine’s attentions – and affections – normal has never seemed so far away.

The Summer of Shambles is the first in the four-part ONDINE series. Fans of The Princess Bride or the Confessions of Georgia Nicolson series will love this delightfully quirky fairytale.

Before I can mention anything else, I have to say that this book has a very strong voice. It's strength was actually jarring for me when I first began to read, but it soon became one of my favourite things about the book.

The Summer of Shambles is a fantasy book in the guise of a contemporary novel (well sort of contemporary as it was written to take place in contemporary pre-internet) It takes place in an imaginary Eastern European country called Brugel. Never heard of it? That's okay, because there are footnotes to help keep you up to speed. This country boosts a high population of psychics and even has a psychic summer camp, which is where Ondine, our main character has been sent, despite the fact she has no psychic skills to think of and would really rather go home. Thus our story upons up with her doing just that, along with the ferret that had decided to befriend her while she was there.

Then of course as she is heading home the ferret, in a very strong Scottish brogue, suddenly starts talking to her.

I think that if I had read this book when I was younger (maybe around Middle School) it would have been one of my favourite books. It's got a quirkiness to it that I really like and the voice and style of the book would have really appealed to me at that age. There is a lot of suspension of reality that I sometimes had issue with as well that I think younger me would have had absolutely no trouble with. (Oh man, that makes me feel old suddenly).

The characters are very strong in their portrayals. You won't be mistaking one character for another. The plot is simple but interesting, none-the-less. And the ending does well to open it up for the rest of the books in the series, I believe.

The most interesting and unique thing in The Summer of Shambles however, is how Ebony McKenna deals with exposition. Due to the voice of the book and the setting. This book could have been weighed down by pages of exposition. Instead, McKenna, footnotes the book with hilarious explanations or further tidbits about characters. I always looked forward to reading them at the end of each chapter and in a material copy of the book, I'm sure there are some readers constantly flipping back and forth to read them as they hit them.

To sum it up, I really enjoyed reading this book, and will probably read it again (and the sequels). The world is unique, the portrayal simple, but enjoyable. The characters strong and the voice of the book is entertaining. Try not to let logic cloud your reading experience too much though.

4 Bookmarks

||*|| Giveaway ||*||

Book Review: Poison by Bridget Zinn

Poison

Bridget Zinn

Published Date: March 12th 2013

Publisher: Disney Hyperion

Pages: 288

Genre:  Fantasy, Adventure, Young Adult

Sixteen-year-old Kyra, a highly-skilled potions master, is the only one who knows her kingdom is on the verge of destruction—which means she’s the only one who can save it. Faced with no other choice, Kyra decides to do what she does best: poison the kingdom’s future ruler, who also happens to be her former best friend.

But, for the first time ever, her poisoned dart . . . misses.

Now a fugitive instead of a hero, Kyra is caught in a game of hide-and-seek with the king’s army and her potioner ex-boyfriend, Hal. At least she’s not alone. She’s armed with her vital potions, a too-cute pig, and Fred, the charming adventurer she can’t stop thinking about. Kyra is determined to get herself a second chance (at murder), but will she be able to find and defeat the princess before Hal and the army find her?

Kyra is not your typical murderer, and she’s certainly no damsel-in-distress—she’s the lovable and quick-witted hero of this romantic novel that has all the right ingredients to make teen girls swoon.

I picked up Poison due the an interesting synopsis paired up with a gorgeous cover. I would be lying if I hadn’t thought of Poison Study and hoped that this book would be written in a similar style.

Luckily, reality didn’t hit too far from my expectations. Things were a little lighter, a little simpler, but the style of the writing the kind I enjoy reading the most.

The book opens up with Kyra sneaking around and avoiding old friends and guards, because she had tried to kill the princess with her potions and poisons. She failed the first time and now everyone is after her, but she is determined to try again… despite the fact that the princess is her best friend.

The great strength of this book is how our main character doesn’t tell us, the reader, anything. For example the book starts off going on about how she needs to kill the princess and after we’re comfortable with that it throws us for a loop with the best friend thing. It then teases us with only half an explanation of why and we spend most of the book wanting to throttle Kyra, and have her think clearly about it all so we can understand what's going on and her motives.

Because of this, the book becomes very engaging, keeping the readers on their toes with an active mind up until the very end.

I also enjoy the fact that the book is carefully set up so that we are dropped in at the middle instead of at the beginning.

The characters are sometimes simple, but varied and charming (when they’re supposed to be). I’m personally a fan of this kind of charaterization, so I enjoyed this.

Where the book did suffer a bit is with the pacing. The climax felt less like a climax, more like it was dragged out and I couldn’t figure out which part was supposed to be the big turning point. Other times the pacing was too fast. It’s not a huge issue, however, and didn’t stop me from enjoying.

So many pieces of information slowly dripped to us through the course of the book and even the ones that didn’t sneak up on me, I didn’t start to piece together until right before the reveal. Simple touches made this work out perfectly. Things like the relationship between Kyra and her mother being what it is so that she naturally refers to her as “Duchess” instead. The way that the fiance prince is described in a way that fits Fred, so that when he is revealed, as surprising as it is, it also doesn’t feel forced or out of the blue.

I like books that do something just a little bit differently and though it doesn’t always pay off to experiment, in this case I believe it did.

I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys some nice YA Fantasy with charming characters. I also recommend this to anyone who enjoys it when an author carefully fits together the reveal of a mystery like a puzzle.

This book was published post-mortem as the author died of cancer in 2011. There won't be any more books by her and that is such a tragedy. She would have easily become a favourite author of mine. I hope she realized how great this book was.

4.5 Bookmarks

Book Review: The One by Kiera Cass

The One (The Selection #3)

Kiera Cass

Review of The Selection
Review of The Elite (The Selection #2)

Publication Date: June 5th 2014

Publisher: HarperTeen

Pages: 325

Genre:  Fantasy-esque, Dystopia-esque, Romance, Young Adult

For the four girls who remain at the palace, the friendships they’ve formed, rivalries they’ve struggled with and dangers they’ve faced have bound them to each other for the rest of their lives.

Now, the time has come for one winner to be chosen.

America never dreamed she would find herself anywhere close to the crown – or to Prince Maxon’s heart. But as the competition approaches its end and the threats outside the palace walls grow more vicious, America realises just how much she stands to lose – and how hard she’ll have to fight for the future she wants.

Yes. This one is the best one. I can't believe this is the same writer as the first book, she has improved so much for me. Although maybe gulping both this and The Elite one right after each other on the same day could be coloring my view.

The highlight of this book for me (I'm sure it's not true of everyone) is not the romance but instead the friendships and politics of the book.

On top of that Cass manages to show growth in almost every single character still around in this final book. The final four girls left, aside from America, are the side characters where it's the most obvious. It makes me want to go re-read the first book again just to remember how they were when they had started and truly appreciate what they've grown into. America herself grows tremendously as well, from a girl who just wanted to marry the boy of her dreams to the girl who wants to make a difference.

It's hard to talk about this book without revealing all. I laughed. I cried. I almost missed my bell to go to class because I became so absorbed. I am glad I gave this series another chance after a rocky start. I think the first book is a poor introduction to all of the non-romance parts that this series has to offer, but on the other hand it was a good set-up for things to come.

One thing that's true however is that The One is a different book than The Selection. Lucky for me that was a good thing.

Celeste! I cried for Celeste! It was only one line, brief in the epilogue, but as soon as I realized what it alluded to I started tearing up. I think her growth was one of my favourites. She was so hated in the beginning, seemed so shallow as a character, and then she seemed to get worse, but this situation it beats everyone down. All of the girls are in a very dangerous place and her stubbornness kept her from leaving. When she broke down and America and her made the truce, she became my favourite character.

The friendship that the final girls created was also dear to me, I hadn't expected it and I think it was good of Cass to do.

I also teared up a bit when Maxon revealed that he had been trying to figure out how the eliminate the caste system since almost way in the beginning. I was so proud of him at the moment. I admire him so much as a character. Everything he would try to do that was against his father was a risk for him, yet he'd still do it.

There is so much more I could talk about, but I could go on forever.

This is a fantastic end that cleans up the loose ends of the previous book and ends at a place that feels comfortable and finished. This series is good. It is a fantasy story based in a possible future of our own world. It is a princess story that doesn't shy from the politics of the situation. And it is a love story that plays out dramatically, but realistically.

4.5 Bookmarks

Book Review: The Elite by Kiera Cass

The Elite (The Selection #2)

Kiera Cass

Review of The Selection

Publication Date: April 2nd 2013

Publisher: HarperTeen

Pages: 336

Genre:  Fantasy-esque, Dystopia-esque, Romance, Young Adult

The hotly-anticipated sequel to the New York Times bestseller The Selection.

Thirty-five girls came to the palace to compete in the Selection. All but six have been sent home. And only one will get to marry Prince Maxon and be crowned princess of Illea.

America still isn’t sure where her heart lies. When she’s with Maxon, she’s swept up in their new and breathless romance, and can’t dream of being with anyone else. But whenever she sees Aspen standing guard around the palace, and is overcome with memories of the life they planned to share. With the group narrowed down to the Elite, the other girls are even more determined to win Maxon over—and time is running out for America to decide.

Just when America is sure she’s made her choice, a devastating loss makes her question everything again. And while she’s struggling to imagine her future, the violent rebels that are determined to overthrow the monarchy are growing stronger and their plans could destroy her chance at any kind of happy ending.

My first impression upon reading this book is that the writing is improving. I remember being only so-so on the prose previously, but now I'd say it's leaning quite a bit towards good. The Elite continues the same story as The Selection, decreasing the girls and increasing pretty much everything else.

Things go from being a silly little "princess test"/"bachelor" type of story to one where stakes are raised, characters given deeper development and it ends up becoming a story that I appreciate much more. I love romance, don't get me wrong, but this plot has gotten way more interesting and I love it.

The romance of course still has center stage. Though this is technically a love triangle, I feel more and more that it's not about rooting for one over the other. Aspen represents America's past, a place she knows, a place she doesn't have to take risks. Her feelings for him and the way she goes between them are more symbolic than a force to be reckoned with. We know she is going to end up with Prince Maxon in the end, that is the point of the books, and this becomes more apparent as we watch him grow and change a bit as well.

America's feelings for Maxon on the other hand are her future, a place she has no idea what's going to happen in, one she's terrified with, one that's very risky (especially with all those other girls there).

Boy is it messy, though. Everyone one of America's reactions and flip-flopping emotions are so realistic I cringe. I want to yell at them all, I want to strangle them all, but I understand why they are doing the things they are doing. They are scared, they are hopeful, they are unsure of the other's feelings. It's a messy, messy mess, but it feels real. 

Holy crap, the King. This was a fantastic turn of events and terrible too. The revelation of how he really is, first with the glance at Marlee's caning (talk about raising the stakes phew! I got quite upset reading that, brought back the reality that this is a dystopic community) and then full blown after America's presentation, when we discover he's been abusing Maxon.

We knew he wasn't respectful of Maxon, but it broke my heart how much Maxon tries to make a difference despite it all, it truly highlights how amazing he was for hiding Marlee and her beau away. He and the person America is growing into suit each other so well. She has ideas and pushes, and he is steady and knows how to make the ideas into reality.

If you gave up after The Selection because it hadn't been quite what you were expecting, I implore you to just give The Elite a try. It is an improvement for me, a lot of the issues I had with the first book lessening. Though I still would love to just see it as one big book, it feels more like a serial than separate books right now.

4 Bookmarks

Book Review: Magic Under Stone by Jaclyn Dolamore

Magic Under Stone

Jaclyn Dolamore

Review of Prequel, Magic Under Glass

Publication Date: February 28th 2012

Publisher: Bloomsbury

Pages: 297

Genre:  Fantasy, Young Adult

For star-crossed lovers Nimira and Erris, there can be no happily ever after until Erris is freed from the clockwork form in which his soul is trapped. And so they go in search of the sorcerer Ordorio Valdana, hoping he will know how to grant Erris real life again. When they learn that Valdana has mysteriously vanished, it's not long before Nimira decides to take matters into her own hands—and begins to study the sorcerer's spell books in secret. Yet even as she begins to understand the power and limitations of sorcery, it becomes clear that freeing Erris will bring danger—if not out-and-out war—as factions within the faerie world are prepared to stop at nothing to prevent him from regaining the throne. 

Dolamore's writing in Magic Under Stone is starting to resemble a cross between the styles of Diana Wynn Jones or Patricia C. Wrede and Maria V. Snyder. There is a lightness to the writing, yet at the same the same times the characters are deep and the world-building complicated.

Magic Under Stone is the sequel to Magic Under Glass and succeeds in being both a follow up to what happens next to Nim and Erris, and being a book of growth and expansion for Nimira. It also expands the world more, adding a Jinn character that we follow from time to time. Usually I don't like switching perspective if I have gotten in the habit of following just one character, but I think this book would have suffered without the Jinn's point of view as the way he is under his curse or slavery causes him to not act as he wants all the time.

My favourite part of the story is hands down Nimira's growth, however. Although she is a great character in Magic Under Glass, she doesn't grow too much, her naivety from running from home to become famous in another country still showing. In this book, however, Nimira realizes that she is not the fake trouser girl that she portrayed for years, but she also isn't the "Lady" that Hollin had shaped her into being. She finds herself in this book and I really like that. She also finds her own talents and abilities.

The one thing that annoyed me (but that's just because of personal tastes, other people love this kind of stuff) is the constant drama between her and Erris. Of course it's realistic given their situation and helps to dash any "instalove" issues, but he is just so angsty.

Yay! They found his body, they found his body and he's alive. As the Jinn uncovered Erris's body, I was cheering quite a lot. Though I will admit I think that the new King's turn around needed more work and it seemed so sudden and out of character. In the beginning of the book we are led to believe he is crueler than his father, and then we realize it's the older brothers that are crueler. Yet, he still does so many things that make his turn around a bit unbelievable.

On the other hand, I really like Nimira learning magic and how it isn't an instant thing. By the time they are attacked she can really only move and create heat, the basics of human magic, but there is also a promise that she will learn more and that it is something that becomes her.

Finally, the King turnaround aside, I found the entire ending of the book rather rushed, I'd rather Dolamore had taken a longer route to the wind down portion of the book.

I recommend this book to people who loved Magic Under Glass and I recommend both books to those who love fantasy with a touch of fairytale and now mythological influences. I am quite sad that this is the last book in this world, because I feel like it could hold more stories (with different characters possibly).

4 Bookmarks

Book Review: Magic Under Glass by Jaclyn Dolamore

Magic Under Glass

Jaclyn Dolamore

Publication Date: February 1st 2010

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing

Pages: 225

Genre:  Fantasy, Young Adult

Nimira is a music-hall performer forced to dance for pennies to an audience of leering drunks. When wealthy sorcerer Hollin Parry hires her to do a special act - singing accompaniment to an exquisite piano-playing automaton, Nimira believes it is the start of a new life. In Parry's world, however, buried secrets stir. 
Unsettling below-stairs rumours abound about ghosts, a mad woman roaming the halls, and of Parry's involvement in a gang of ruthless sorcerers who torture fairies for sport. When Nimira discovers the spirit of a dashing young fairy gentleman is trapped inside the automaton's stiff limbs, waiting for someone to break the curse and set him free, the two fall in love. But it is a love set against a dreadful race against time to save the entire fairy realm, which is in mortal peril.

There are books out there that read as if they were original a fairytale, yet weren't at all. Magic Under Glass is one of those books. What makes fairytales, folklore and legends what they are is the reuccuring themes that exist: transformation, mother-dying, being-cursed are all pieces that are in this book. (Other popular themes are "Girl-in-Tower" and "Evil Step-Mother"). What's cool is that actually these uses of tropes are still what makes certain books the genre that they are.

But basically, if I had been told that this book was based off a fairytale about a mechanical man and the evil man keeping him from transforming and a girl who loves him and tries to break the spell, I would have believed them.

What's also great about this book is the use of cultural differences. Nimira is from another country, one that seems as if it might be similar to an Arabian country of our own world, while the country it takes place in seems to be similar to England taking place during an older time where Nimira and her people are obviously looked down upon as being lesser and barbarians. Of course that is just cultural differences between their countries, as it is quite obvious that Nimira is very intelligent. There are also instances of dismissing Nim because of her gender which is also very well done, especially since Hollin is very forward in his thinking, knowing cultural differences are just that and not underestimating Nim as much due to her being a woman.

Following off of that, the world building Dolamore comes up with in this book are just magical. It is never said that the countries are Arabian and English, just that they are their own countries with their own problems and histories. You can truly tell Dolamore developed everything about these countries down to small details, and yet she doesn't fall into the trap where she tries and tells us all of it.

The prose is also absolutely magical, as are the characters, and the story twists and surprises, leading to a rather epic ending and a hope.

Poor, poor Erris! Everything that could be done for him had been done, but it's just so depressing that he's still only has his clockwork body, I've been waiting and waiting for the next book to come out (it finally has) to see if they are able to get him a real body and then afterwards I wonder what his future can be.

I am also so very proud of Hollin at the end for finally standing up to Smollings in such a beautiful and epic way. I can only hope that he and his wife finally make up and realize they still love each other. He had used dark magic to save her despite consequences, so despite his slight attraction to Nimira, I feel like it was more of her foreignness and promise of travel that was attractive and not Nim herself, I think he still loves his wife.

If you enjoy fairytale adaptations I highly suggest this book. If you've read any of Dolamore's other books I suggest this book. If you like cultural different heroines, I recommend this book. It is one of my all time favourite books that I've read. I read it for the first time about a year ago and I've reread it two more times since.

4.5 Bookmarks

Book Review: The Princess and the Hound by Mette Ivie Harrison

The Princess and the Hound (Hound Saga #1)

Mette Ivie Harrison

Publication Date: May 1st 2007

Publisher: Eos

Pages: 410

Genre: Fairytale, Fantasy, Young Adult

He is a prince, heir to a kingdom threatened on all sides, possessor of the animal magic, which is forbidden by death in the land he'll rule.
She is a princess from a rival kingdom, the daughter her father never wanted, isolated from true human friendship but inseparable from her hound.
Though they think they have little in common, each possesses a secret that must be hidden at all costs. Proud, stubborn, bound to marry for the good of their kingdoms, this prince and princess will steal your heart, but will they fall in love?

Have I mentioned that I have this strange, stupid aversion to male points of views in books that I read? I'm not exactly sure why and I am quite ashamed of it, but it is the reason why when I first read The Princess and the Hound I put it down after the first few chapters. I have to say now that that was a huge mistake, because when I started reading this book a second time (at first wondering why it seemed so familiar). I realized what an well written, enjoyable book it was.

This book is a fairytale in its structure, it is however a completely original fairytale of the author's own imagination. It introduces its own kind of magic called animal magic, with a history and many myths to it. The main character is a boy who hides himself from everyone he knows, trying to fulfill his duty as a prince first and foremost. Because of this, however, he finds himself incredibly lonely and not the happiest guy in the world. Enter the strange Princess Beatrice and her hound, both of whom George feels companionship very quickly.

It is a story of revenge, forgiveness, taking a stand and righting past wrongs. There is so much in the book that its surprising.

The two biggest strength have to be the characters which were all unique and carried depth and the world building which in a scifi or fantasy novel is a very important element of the story. The prose is also very well done, for me very much in the style of fairytale retellings.

I can't remember exactly when I figured out that Beatrice and Marit had been changed, but I did figure it out before Prince George did which I was very proud of. I really loved how it ended up with them. Prince George truly fell in love more with Marit despite her being in a dog, and more respected the soul of Marit in Beatrice. The way the bear played in all of this was also very interesting and kind of gave the entire book a sealant to hold it together. It began with the story of the bear, continued with the bear being there with George's mother died and when George first met Beatrice and Marit and then continuing to be the key to it all in the end.

I know that this book has a sequel called The Princess and the Bear and it intrigues me. I know that the bear and the hound are satisfied with what they have become, so I wonder if it deals with them or if it deals with some other animal magic users completely. I do think this world could carry more stories in it.

I recommend this book to lovers of fairytales who want to try something in the same vein, but completely original. If you are like me and have a weird aversion to male perspectives, push past it, because it honestly is the best perspective for this book in my opinion.

4 Bookmarks