Soulbound - Heather Brewer

Synopsis

Goodreads: Tril is a world where Barrons and Healers are Bound to each other: Barrons fight and Healers cure their Barrons' wounds in the ongoing war with the evil Graplar King. Seventeen-year-old Kaya was born a Healer, but she wants to fight. In Tril, and at Shadow Academy, where she is sent to learn to heal, it is against Protocol for Healers to fight. So Kaya must learn in secret. Enter two young men: One charming, rule-following Barron who becomes Bound to Kaya and whose life she must protect at all costs. And one with a mysterious past who seems bent on making Kaya's life as difficult as possible. Kaya asks both to train her, but only one will, and the consequences will change their lives forever.

Thoughts

*Fangirl squeal*!!! Can I just say how much I LOVED THIS BOOK?!?  There are so many reasons why I shouldn't automatically add this to my favourites list, but I just can't bring myself to care about things that usually turn me off.  The story is set in a fantasy world very similar to Kristin Cashore's if any of you are familiar with her writing (another author I absolutely ADORE).  Unlike Cashore's heroines, who are a bit more misunderstood, Kaya absolutely knows who she is and what she believes.  Kaya totally kicks ass, and what I loved most about this book is that despite the love triangle (it wouldn't be teen fiction without a love triangle these days, would it?  Here's hoping that trend burns itself out soon), Kaya's worth is not dependent at all on either man (boy?), and she is definitely not a damsel in distress needing a white knight to rescue her.  She clearly cares about each character and values their opinion, but if they have a disagreement she doesn't wallow in self-pity and try to commit suicide (Twilight anyone?).

Here's what I didn't like, but why it doesn't matter:

Trayton vs. Darius - I've been pretty clear I'm not a fan of the love triangle.  Ooh look, two hot guys vying for one girl.  Unfortunately it's a big hit with the teen audience these days, so it looks like for the forseeable future, most teen fiction is going to have this - especially if it has paranormal/fantasy elements.  BUT here's why I forgive it in this novel.  Despite feeling a connection with both men, Kaya doesn't consider herself in love with either.  Potentially in love, yes, but she has much bigger problems to worry about outside of her love life.  She doesn't spend the entire novel debating who she loves, how it is oh so morally wrong, etc, which seems to be a major plot point with teen novels.  In fact, she doesn't even admit more than a passing attraction to Darius - she finds herself attracted to him (honestly that's not strange at all.  He's terribly handsome - if I spent a lot of time next to a hot, hot man I too would probably be attracted.  But not in love, and that's the key here), and some time is spent on feeling a connection with him, but her focus is training.  Her source of guilt is that she is hiding her training from the man she's bound with, not that she's secretly shacking up with the other guy.  I didn't like that she allowed her issues with Trayton to be glossed over, but she wasn't agreeing with him - she just acknowledges he disagrees and there isn't a point in trying to fight over it.  It's a  little strange for someone so confrontational, but also probably exactly how I would act with someone I was just getting into a relationship with.

 Maddox - Another trend I hate in teen fiction is the tendency to create a best friend solely to move the plot forward - usually specifically for romance.  Best friend's are there to explain to the reader how the main character is feeling about the love interest/how she is pretending to feel.  Maddox has a little bit of that in the story.  She isn't used just for romance, but she is a big plot mover.  Luckily she isn't just a two-dimensional character who exists solely for Kaya to bounce ideas off of.  I have so many questions about her!  Why does she have a soft spot for Trayton?  Why is she so scared about fighting?  Why doesn't she just train with Kaya and Darius (this is touched upon, but not really explored)?  Why do the other Barrons seem intimidated by her if she doesn't have fighting skills?I have hope that her character will be developed more in the other books, because Brewer created a character in Maddox who is just as epically badass as Kaya is.

Setting - I'm a big fan of exploring the fantasy world.  It's a big part of why Harry Potter was so successful and why I am a big fan of Cashore's novels.  I don't even think this falls into the negative category really.  I would have loved to know more about the history of the war, but I have a feeling this is also coming in the next couple novels.  I also feel like the descriptions of the area were slightly glossed over.  On the flip side, this novel was extremely fast paced (I read it in about two hours despite the fact I am SO BUSY right now.  I just couldn't put it down!), and any sort of lengthy description wouldn't have fit in with the pacing of the book.  Brewer doesn't ignore the world, in fact I think she did a fine job with this novel (clearly as I'm pretty enthusiastic about it haha), I just have a weird predilection for very detailed settings.

Overall, if you are a fan of any sort of paranormal/fantasy teen books, you should definitely read this.  Even if you aren't...you should just read this!  I think fans of the Hunger Games and Kristin Cashore's novels will definitely love this book, and even the fluffier Twilight/Mortal Instruments lovers will easily fall into this as well.

Recommended

                           

Hunger Games Review                      Graceling Review

Top Ten Tuesday: Books that feature travel in some way

This was another post that I saw on other blogs that I really liked (if only to force me to post something..ANYTHING relevant to books).  I am taking my prompts from
The Broke and Bookish (don't use just love that name?  Or maybe it's because it is so, so applicable to my life right now).  So with no further ado, here's my Top 10 (although in no particular order other than being in my top 10...and with the exception of the first they're honestly going to be the first 10 I can think of)



In which there is travel by fish creatures:

1.  The Abarat Series by Clive Barker - Ok I got way to excited on this one so I will link it since I don't want to start a trend of writing loads.  Read here 

In which there is travel by life boat:

  2. The Life of Pi by Yann Martel - I feel like what with the movie adaption out fairly recently almost everyone knows this story and needs no explanation as to why it's on a travel list.










In which there is travel by steam punk and biological evolution:

3.  Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld - Set during WWI, this steam punk novel is a war between Darwin enthusiasts and machinists, all the while following the cross continental travels of Prince Aleksander, heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne.  Need I say more?

In which there is travel by magic wardrobe (and other strange events):

4.  The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis - A childhood classic...featuring lots of interesting ways to get into Narnia (painting? magic wardrobe? train crash? It's got everything!)

In which there is lots and lots of walking:

5.  The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien - Another classic novel featuring dwarves, a dragon, and lots of snacks!

In which there is travel through space and time:

6.  A Swiftly Tilting Planet by Madeleine L'Engle - Ok clearly I'm having some issues thinking of books involving travel as I'm resorting almost entirely to childhood favourites.  Again, a classic, and if you haven't heard of it shame on you, go read it!

In which there is travel using a towel:

7.  The Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams - Travel throughout the entire universe for the sole cost of one towel!

In which there is travel through literature:

8.  The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde - If you are a fan of The Hitchhiker's Guide, you should definitely explore this series!  Written in the same style and humour of Adams, this instead explores the chaotic universe of characters escaping novels and terrorizing the general populace.  Chaos and general hilarity ensue.

In which there is a road trip:

9.  The Secret Life of Prince Charming by Deb Caletti - Let me make this clear.  I think Deb Caletti is quite possibly the best contemporary YA author out there.  She has such beautifully crafted characters, the plots are well thought out, and the most wonderfully heart wrenching prose I've ever read.  If you like Sarah Dessen and haven't read Caletti somehow...read this.  Or any other novel by her.

In which there is travel in and out of Death:

10.  Sabriel by Garth Nix - Series featuring a kick-ass heroine who travels to and from Death to make sure the dead stay dead (I swear this is not about vampires.  It's way more awesome)

Whew!  That was slightly exhausting...hopefully next week's one will be easier for me!  What about you?  Any suggestions for books to add to this list?

Tam Lin - Pamela Dean

Ok I lied.  I forgot I had a baked potato in the oven (and it is perfectly crispy!)...so eating isn't procrastinating (even if I am having dinner at midnight).  And now I'm reviewing, so that's good right?

Summary

Goodreads: In the ancient Scottish ballad "Tam Lin," headstrong Janet defies Tam Lin to walk in her own land of Carterhaugh . . . and then must battle the Queen of Faery for possession of her lover’s body and soul. In this version of "Tam Lin," masterfully crafted by Pamela Dean, Janet is a college student, "Carterhaugh" is Carter Hall at the university where her father teaches, and Tam Lin is a boy named Thomas Lane. Set against the backdrop of the early 1970s, imbued with wit, poetry, romance, and magic, Tam Lin has become a cult classic—and once you begin reading, you’ll know why. This reissue features an updated introduction by the book’s original editor, the acclaimed Terri Windling.

Thoughts

I'll be honest, I felt like I should have liked Tam Lin. And I tried, I really did.   First and foremost, you need to be a serious reader to get through the book.  The pacing is extremely slow and 80% of it is witty dialogue quoting literature and making obscure references.  It was also difficult to get into because it is set during college in the 70's, whereas I am currently doing my masters close to 40 years after this takes place, and it is amazing the changes between then and now.  It's not something I really thought much about until I was reading the novel and kept having questions about why things were being a certain way (like why she kept calling the dorm building...oh yeah...no cell phones.  And birth control was still in it's early stages as far as the pill form goes).

Here are my biggest complaints:

Janet is extremely smart, focused, and worldly for an eighteen year old.  She talks like she is a graduate or doctoral student as do all of her friends.  I can speak from experience that while many of my undergraduate conversations freshman year were very specific to music (as this is my major), they were less debates and usually involved drinking and the statements "word" or "that's like...so deep."  Not actual debates backed up with a variety of references.  At times this was like reading someone's thesis!  If they had made her about 5 years older at least I might have found this believable.  Despite the difference in era, teenagers haven't changed that much in my opinion.

It's clear who Janet is meant to be with: spoilers

The plot is extremely slow and so much time is spent on the first year - almost the whole book, and then everything else is brushed over.  However, Tor points out it is in following with the pacing of the ballad (you know the thing the entire novel is based on).

There are so many parts where the mystery is built up, but then it just disappears into another 50 pages of dialogue about Shakespeare.  It was so frustrating!  And then after all that build up, even after the pages and pages ignoring the mysteries, the resolution is so quick!  I think the climax and resolution are the most glossed over things I've ever read.

It was also very hard for me to relate to Janet.  She can be such a snob!  I felt bad for her poor roommate Christina who Janet really looks down upon just because she can't catch all the quotations from every obscure novel ever.  Or every Shakespeare line ever written.  I mean who CAN do that when they are 18?  I had an easier time relating to Christina who was much more like your average undergraduate student - smart, well-balanced, not necessarily rational 100% of the time.

What I did like was the witty dialogue (even if I found it pedantic at times) and the way Dean delves into literature and philosophy.  Even if I didn't like the balance (note: it was the entire novel) it was very interesting.  It was also refreshing to read a mature take on romance and sex after so many teen novels where it's the sudden unexplained attraction followed by loads of angst.  Even if I found Janet's rationality and maturity unconvincing for her age, it was nice to not have Mary Sues, etc.  That being said this IS a romance about a woman fighting for her man...and maybe the last 3 chapters are spent on that, whereas that is the subject matter for the whole ballad!  Overall, I would recommend this for more serious minded readers (or people like me who are REALLY into fairy tale retellings).  Otherwise I can't see this being for most readers due to the pedantic writing, slow plot, and very little real romance.

I will also add the disclaimer that I have enjoyed other works by Pamela Dean and this shouldn't deter you from exploring those!

You might like:

                                    

The Secret Country Reviews                      Fire and Hemlock Review

May Reading Wrap Up

I know, I know I am supposed to have actual reviews between my two wrap ups (admittedly I did post the last one like two weeks late).  What can I say?  Grad school has been crazy (I performed at the CSO's Symphony Center last week!! Which of course means even more insane rehearsal schedules.  Painful, but worth it...)

So with no further ado, let's look at the books I remember I've read:

Tam Lin by Pamela Dean (I was really surprised in not good ways about it.  I usually love retellings of classic fairy tales but...this one seemed to be more about pretentious literary debates.  I'll probably review this as I should probably start not just having excited reviews haha)

Princess of the Midnight Ball by Jessica Day George (A fun read, it stick much more to the simplistic format of fairy tales, which I enjoyed in contrast to Dean's book which I read directly before this one)

A Vintage Affair by Isabel Wolff (I'm torn on this one...it's a very charming read and parts of it I absolutely loved, but there were many moments I didn't love)

Spirited by Nancy Holder (A fun read - one of the more substance less fluff novels from the Once Upon A Time Series)

If I Lie by Corrine Jackson (I am having some issues with teen fiction right now.  Since when has the term slut become acceptable use throughout a novel?  It was an interesting story, but one that I couldn't connect to, in part because of my previous statement.  There will definitely be a follow up on this one.)

The Iron Fey Trilogy by Julie Kagawa (Ugh.  I loved it and I hated it at the same time.  The same issues I always have when teen fiction involves the faerie universe, and at the same time Kagawa didn't always fall into those traps.  It drove me nuts and made me want to thank her at the same time!)
The Iron King
The Iron Daughter
The Iron Queen

What Happened to Goodbye by Sarah Dessen (Dessen delivers again.  Along with Deb Caletti by far one my favourite authors of the YA/Teen fiction genre)

Two-Way Street by Lauren Barnholdt (I found the premise really unbelievable.  I thought it was a fun read at times, but just so, so unbelivable)

Someone Like You by Sarah Dessen (read above notes about Dessen)

Some Girls: My Life in a Harem by Jillian Lauren (I read nonfiction!  Well a memoir anyway, that counts right?  You should be proud of me.  And for someone who doesn't often wander away from just straight fiction, this was refreshing)

Stay by Deb Caletti (read above notes about Caletti)

I'll point out that I don't necessarily agree with all of these reviews (I'm much too lazy to spend more than a minute looking for a review post I agree thoroughly with...let's be honest, if I hadn't been so slack with my writing I'd have reviews up for some of these I could link to.  But...I didn't write, so there's that haha), but I do agree with most of them, and all of them have valid points.

And for those of you who are interested in other things I do (note: no one, but I'm going to post anyway), I caught up on a lot of manga chapters that came out the past month or two.

The One (...guilty pleasure)
Kaichou Wa Maid-sama (cute fluffy manga)
SkipBeat (one of the best things I have EVER READ EVER and if you are even considering reading manga, you should really read it.  DO IT NOW!  Although I'm not sure where the mangaka is going with this weird story arc recently)
Five 57 (cute fluffy manga more friendship focused than relationship.  A little reminscent of Ouran with the school's weird antics)

...and of course all my fictionpress and fanfic guilty pleasures.  I am a beta on both sites so some that is actual work though!


...ok my procrastination from cleaning and making reeds is making itself clear.  This post is entirely too long for what it is meant to be.  I'm off to be productive...just before midnight...

Until next time - where there WILL be reviews!

The Return of the Blogger

I was doing so well with updating at least every week..

But then...

I had no internet for 2 weeks!!  It wasn't bad, and then it was terrible, and then it wasn't so bad again.  Oh the waves of addiction (also there's only so many times you can talk to AT&T  representatives in a day...especially many days..in a row). That's ok, I kept busy while it was down (I read a book a day...or two).  There's something I've seen on other blogs that I really liked that I'll start doing right now (although it's a couple weeks late).  So without further ado, here is my April round up!

Soulbound - Heather Brewer (which I love, love, loved! And I'll have a review up for that soon)
Something Blue - Emily Giffin(which was ok, not as good as the previous book)
Tiger Lily - Jodi Lynn Anderson
Mao's Last Dancer - Li Cunxin
Changeling (Philippa Gregory's first delve into YA literature..it was ok, we'll see how the series progresses)
Ella Enchanted - Gail Carson Levine (I've read this so, so many times)
Level 2 - Lenore Appelhans
Tale of Two Castles - Gail Carson Levine
City of Lost Souls - Cassandra Clare (blegh)
The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake - Aimee Bender (this was really interesting, should have a review up later)
Life on the Refrigerator Door - Alice Kuipers

Hopefully this post will kickstart me into regular blogging again!