Speculating on SpecFic

My reluctance to re-read blurbs before beginning a book pays off again! I had no idea what to expect from Jaran, except that I love Kate Elliott's writing and was looking forward to reading some science fiction by her (having previously only read the Crossroads books). Jaran begins slowly, a little too slowly for me, but develops into a beautifully complex and engaging novel that had me eagerly reading way past my bed-time!The most fascinating aspect of this novel, for me, is the jaran culture. Largely tribal and nomadic, women are placed uncommonly high in the social structure and possess the power to choose lovers, take in children, and are the leaders of each tribe. However, the men are powerful in matters of war and travel, and can take spouses (an important distinction here, women choose their lovers, but men choose wives). I was immediately intrigued by their culture, and although I feared Elliott wouldn't be able to resist politicizing this non-traditional structure, I found that it wasn't so. Tess comments on the differences in the ways jaran look at life - men shouldn't flirt openly, the sun is called She and the moon He - but readers are ultimately left to discover the pros and cons of this society on their own.Balanced against this culture is Tess, who has grown up in a more ... for lack of a better word, Westernised culture, and initially struggles to understand the freedom and power she has as a woman with the jaran. I admire Tess' determination and stubborn nature, but quickly grew weary of her tears and blushing. It isn't so much that I thought her weakened by those displays, but that I couldn't understand the impulses behind them. Tears appeared not only when she was sad or angry, but when she was tired, when things didn't go her way, and a few times, for no discernible reason at all. Additionally, while it was clear that Tess isn't a stranger to intimacy between a man and a woman, she's prone to blushing at every joke and insinuation. Which I could have understood, if she hadn't also assimilated that particular aspect of jaran culture. It seems contradictory to me that she (rightly) revelled in the power she had to choose lovers, and enjoy them, and then felt the need to blush and demure every time intimacy was mentioned.I love the secondary characters in the book almost as Tess and Ilya - especially Sonia, Kirrill and Yuri. They are all well-rounded, and I feel we get to know them quite well. In particular, the Chapalii are really interesting - so different and alien in the truest sense of the word, and I would like to get to know more about them in future books.Yuri in particular struck an accord with me because of his kindness, humour and attempts at wisdom, but I think the author's insistence in stopping the action and then having Tess proclaim, rather cheesily, Yuri as he brother, distracting and unnecessary. Although by the laws of the jaran Yuri is certainly her brother, and Ilya her cousin, Ilya's being Tess' cousin is really only mentioned when she has to remind herself why emotional entanglement with him would be wrong. In other words, I am uncomfortable that Elliott felt the need to point out, so early in the novel, that Yuri wasn't going to be a love interest. The insinuation, I feel, is that men and women can't just be friends. This is challenged throughout the book, with Tess forming meaningful friendships with the jaran and not feeling the need to sleep with them, but I still wonder at how the 'Yuri is her brother' aspect is handled.I was interested to note that after the initial adventure on a space-ship, the science fiction elements of the novel were played down. In fact, much of the book reads like fantasy, with the jaran on a long, epic journey across deserts to uncover ancient shrines and temples all Indiana Jones like. I also think that the balance between the romance in the book and the rest of the novel is handled well, and although there are strong romantic subplots, the politics, action and emotional aspects don't suffer.A science fiction novel with amazing twists, Jaran has certainly hooked me for the rest of the series. Although this first book was initially published in 2002, the series is being re-released in 2013 as ebooks by Open Road Media, and you can bet I'll be getting the other three books! I'm keen to get to know Tess and Ilya better, so see the impact they have on the future of the Jaran, and to see what role they play in the inevitable rebellion against the Chapalli. I recommend this novel to fantasy and science fiction, because it really has something for everyone.A copy of this book was provided by the publisher for review.You can read more of my reviews at Speculating on SpecFic.

While I enjoyed Transcendence and it certainly kept me entertained, there are ultimately too many things I didn't like about it to really proclaim it an instant favourite. I think the past-lives, reincarnation aspect is handled well (and ties to Egyptian mythology are always a plus), but the characters and the plotting could have been much, much better.We begin with the world-building, wherein everyone reincarnates, but only a special few, called Ahket, remember their past lives. The awakening, or transitioning, is marked by random flashes of traumatic or emotional events witnessed in ones past lives. When our protagonist, Nicole (Cole) begins to have these visions, she's convinced she's going crazy, or is very unwell. Lucky a random stranger named Griffon is there to help her through it. This aspect of the book is interesting, and quickly pulled me into the book. The more that Cole found out about Ahket, the more I wanted to know. Getting to meet other Ahket is exciting, and I hope that as the series goes on, more is revealed about the world and the role the Ahket play in it.My main source of disappointment in Transcendence is the execution - it's somewhat clumsy and unsatisfying, and left me with the feeling that the protagonist is ten kinds of foolish. For example, Cole, freaking out that she's experiencing weird visions, and confronted with Griffon who seems to know more than he lets on about them, instantly trusts him. Even when common sense tells her not to, she's constantly telling the reader how much she innately trusts him. Which would be fine, albeit unbelievable, if she didn't, in the same breath, tell us how she thinks he's crazy for believing the reincarnation stuff. She listens to his theories, meets other Ahket he knows and humours them on their beliefs, but it's a dodgy fortune-teller that eventually makes her believe! Go on Cole, tell me again how you trust this random boy ...Closely connected, then, is the romance that transpires between Cole and Griffon. It's sweet and cute and oddly satisfying to read about, but Cole quickly becomes one of those YA protagonists that needs every consequence and corollary spelt out for her. She lacks the ability to even think one step ahead, is always angry and upset when the painfully obvious is pointed out to her. In addition, after sixteen years of fierce independence, she completely melts down when a guy doesn't call/text her for a few days. She became disgustingly clingy, which didn't seem natural for the character that the author described pre-Griffon.Some of my favourite Cole moments -- Griffon's lived many lives before? Oh but he mustn't have fallen in love before! Oh, who are the girls in photos on his shelves? People from past lives, oh dear! Griffon, you say you haven't dated high school girls because you find, thanks to your recollections of past lives, you have more in common with older women? That must mean you've never dated anyone before ... who's that college girl?! Griffon, you haven't called me two days after kissing me! Watch me die here in a puddle of self-pity! And so it went.On the subject of Griffon, he came across as too perfect. Where are his faults? His psychological hang-ups, the emotional and mental trauma of remembering so much, of having lost so much? I think the level of perfect that Griffon maintained throughout the book is probably what irked me the most. In terms of secondary characters, the author does admirably, creating believable, caring parents, a spunky sister, and an awesome best friend, but I wish these characters had more life. I feel like the author really only pulled them out when the plot needed to be advanced in some way, and they were otherwise left to rot in the back corners while Cole gallivanted around with her beau.So, overall, where Transcendence failed me is how, I think, the author chose to approach it. In writing for a young adult audience, perhaps it seemed wiser to over-explain everything, to heighten every feeling to the point of melodrama, to create a 'relatable' main character who's middling, average, unremarkable, aside from her Cello playing, can't wear heels, doesn't wear skirts and throws away her life's passion for love. I, however, have read too many books where the world-building and plot elements are watered down, where the protagonist is stereotypical to a fault, to find anything I loved about it. A copy of this book was provided by the publisher for review.You can read more of my reviews at Speculating on SpecFic.

I rarely get to go into a book with no expectations what-so-ever, but I picked up The Archived on a whim at the library, because it was a relatively new hardcover edition and the cover looked interesting. From the moment I read the first page, I was hooked - the voice, the quality of story-telling, and most-importantly, the world, is so interesting, that The Archived suddenly became very hard to put down!Mackenzie is the kind of YA protagonist I love to read about - brave, flawed, and intelligent. She's a Keeper, which means that she makes sure that the Histories (memories of people now dead) don't wake up and get out into the world of the living. This, coupled with the recent death of her younger brother, makes Mackenzie a really interesting character, because she's constantly having to balance her duties with her all-too-human need to grieve. A wonderful aspect of her character is her ability focus on the task at hand, for example, she's not thinking about some cute boy's eyes when she's fighting rogue Histories. I think she is believable and refreshing, a far cry from the usual affair.I love the world-building of this novel - it's so new! Histories being kept on shelves in a Library, who can wake up and roam the nightmarish corridors of the Narrows, the space between the worlds of living and dead, and the Keepers and Librarians who keep them in check. It's all explained exquisitely through Mackenzie's memories, all the more poignant because the person who taught her about these things, her grandfather, is now dead. The nuances in the relationships between the characters, especially between Mackenzie and her parents, is refreshing, and balanced out the isolation she felt because of her duties as a Keeper.The pacing and plotting of the novel couldn't have been better - the book flows smoothly and doesn't stagnate, and is devoid of the tired old markers of YA fiction. In fact, it's more of a throwback to the Tamora Pierce and Trudi Canavan brand of fantasy - original, complex, emotional, and honestly, just superb.I also enjoyed the balance between the plot and the romance. So rarely do authors get it right, but Schwab nails it. Mackenzie is aware she hasn't known Wesley for very long, and it factors into everything she does. The slow development of their trust and resulting friendship is, in my mind, a lot sweeter than any insta-romance could have been. It's obvious they both like one another, but they are careful to establish a friendship first, which is great.Featuring an awesome protagonist, creative and original world building, and a host of deep characters and relationships, The Archived is undoubtably a welcome deviation from most of the young adult fiction available these days. A truly stand out novel, it's perfect for fans of fantasy of all ages. I can't wait to read the sequel, The Unbound, next year.You can read more of my reviews at Speculating on SpecFic.

Banish is Nicola Marsh's début YA novel, a who-done-it mystery combined with Wiccan supernatural elements that kept me engaged and amused throughout. I liked the novel a lot, and although I think the story is perfect on its own, wouldn't mind a follow-up book or two!The YA aspect of the novel is handled very well, in my opinion, with the protagonist, Alyssa, painted as a mature, fiercely independent young woman who didn't have the best parental support growing up. Now living with her maternal aunt, she's trying to make a normal life for herself and get over the death of her ex-boyfriend. However, coming from a family that believes in Wicca and the supernatural, and not believing any of it herself, Alyssa's hard pressed to figure out who she is. It's this struggle for a sense of self that I found the most intriguing about her, and I identified with her in a lot of ways: she won't let anyone get in her way, and is infuriating and stubborn at times!I think the book is somewhat let down by the murder-mystery aspect - it's painfully obvious who the perpetrator is from about half way, after which we get treated to Alyssa turning a blind eye to the clues, until the climax where she's confronted with the facts. It wasn't particularly surprising, but I did find that the motivation of the 'enemy' to be very interesting, and it was cool to see the pieces slowly come together.My favourite aspect of the novel is definitely the romance - simply because the whole 'oh there's a cute guy' and 'omg he looked at me / touched me briefly' stages have firmly passed by the time the novel begins. Ronan and Alyssa clearly have feelings towards one another, and begin to explore them early on, which is awesome, because I'm sick of the formulaic way YA protagonists go about falling in love these days. And no love triangle (although I was, briefly, very afraid there would be one). Perhaps some readers will dislike the book because of the way the romance is handled, preferring to witness the butterflies in the tummy and rushing heat propagating out from where they touch, and all that, but I loved it!I really like YA novels inspired by Wicca and witches, but inevitably end up comparing them to my personal favourites, Cate Tiernan's Wicca (or Sweep in the US), series. I think Banish does an admirable job of living up to this standard, although I would have loved for the supernatural aspect to be explained more in-depth. There are terms thrown around fairly carelessly and the implications of Alyssa's supernatural journey are left too open-ended for my liking.I recommend Banish to readers who are looking for a read that combines light-hearted humour with mystery and a hint of the supernatural. I really enjoyed it, and will be looking out for more of Nicola's books in the future.A copy of this book was provided by the publisher for review.You can read more of my reviews at Speculating on SpecFic.

Wheeler's début will leave you breathless, exhilarated, and a little disturbed. This gorgeous tale of a young girl who sacrifices everything to save her friend (a Kraken!) from imprisonment touched my heart, and I didn't want it to end. Sadly, it did end, as all great books do, but I am left amazed, enthralled.I love the way that Wheeler tells this story - it's so rare to encounter a début novel with the level of sophistication that is evident throughout Sea Change. Wheeler describes the fantastic landscape beautifully, and I never had any trouble imaging the lush scenery or the wacky characters. From the very first page, readers are immersed in the otherworldly feel of the book, and the magic and mysticism, although subtle at first, won't fail to intrigue. Coupled with the this visualisation are the hints of many things left unsaid. This is a book where the things the author and characters don't say are as important as those they do.The next thing that will pull readers into the book is Lilly herself - distant, sceptical and wise beyond her years, she's a delight to read about. Alongside her is Octavius, the Kraken she befriend at an early age and her secret solace amongst the many disappointments in her life. I initially thought I wouldn't connect with Lilly, with her character being so different from my own, but I happily found myself taking a liking to her, and applauding her maturity and loyalty. I also love the loyalty Octavius has to Lilly and the way he always strives to protect and soothe her, and relished how alien and unknowable he seemed. Their friendship is the stuff of legend, all the more inspiring when considering it's between a girl and a sea monster.Sea Change is peppered with the weird and the wonderful, and I love how many amazing elements of Fantasy the author has managed to weave throughout the narrative. Not only is there a Kraken, but there's a troll, a skinless witch, a few undead, and a magical coat. Bizarre though it may seem when I list them like that, I think the elements come together to create a wonderful story, and the sheer creativity of it boggles the mind. Amongst them are the humans, who are as varied and interesting as the magical creatures.Unexpectedly delightful, Sea Change is among my favourite reads of 2013 so far, and I highly recommend it  to those looking for a dark, gruesome fantasy with nods to the traditions of fairy tales. This book will undoubtably change you.A copy of this book was provided by the publisher for review.You can read more of my reviews at Speculating on SpecFic.

4.5/5This is the first book I've read by Pike, and if it's indicative of her writing, I'll definitely be back for more! Life After Theft is a hilarious, expectedly emotional read that grabbed me from the very first page. I appreciate that the book isn't part of a series, because it's just perfect the way it is and I would have been disappointed if the story was made any longer.I wasn't expecting Life After Theft to be narrated solely from Jeff's point of view. I think it's refreshing, and I really liked Jeff's voice. I think some authors, both female and male, struggle to write believable characters of the opposite sex, often blending them with some unrealistic ideals. But Jeff and I have more in common than I would have initially thought, and I love the way he is written.His confusion at seeing Kimberlee, the way he reluctantly agrees to help her, and the hilarity that ensues as he realises just how much of a kleptomaniac she was in life all sucked me into the story. But underneath the comedic aspect of the book is a deep and real look at teenaged life, and how no one's life is perfect, no matter how everything looks from the outside. The seriousness of Kimberlee's problems throughout her life is well-balanced with the quest to return all the things she stole. I think the plot is masterfully woven, with the various elements weaving together to create a fun and quirky story. Another awesome thing about this book: no love triangle! Jeff sees a gorgeous cheerleader in the hallway on his first day of school, and is immediately attracted to her. I think this is realistic, and have no problems with insta-lust in books, but what I really like is that their relationship developed sweetly, realistically. Yes, we were using the L-word by the end of the book, but I don't think it was un-called for. I hadn't expected Kimberlee to harbour such a fierce dislike of Jeff's choice in girlfriends, and the secrets that were slowly unveiled about the two of them were intriguing.The only negative thing I have to say about Life After Theft will probably make you laugh, but I found myself very quickly tiring of Jeff's hate for his school's uniform. I understand that US schools mostly don't have a uniform policy, and it was a massive shock for Jeff to attend a school with a uniform, but the situation really drew attention to the way teens judge one another on their fashion. It's not only Jeff's constant griping about the uniform, or Kimberlee's insistence on a whole new outfit for him the first time he meets his peers outside of a school setting, it was throw away comments like "you never realise now much you use clothes to describe people until you go to a uniformed school where everyone is a freaking clone" and "when you go to a school with uniforms, it's a little hard to tell who's preppy and who's goth". Jeff really, truly struggles to judge which students fit which stereotype in his high-school, and it's really weird for me, because here in Australia most of our schools have uniforms, and I've never had trouble describing someone, or judging whether they were 'goth' or not, etc. I think this is a cultural difference, and perhaps US readers will really get where Jeff is coming from, but I didn't like the superficiality of it all.I highly recommend Life After Theft highly to readers looking for a lighter read. It's very different from what I usually read, and I really enjoyed it. I am looking forward to reading more books by this brilliant author in the future (I have Earthbound, so yay!).You can read more of my reviews at Speculating on SpecFic.

Action packed and adrenaline fuelled, BZRK is the first Michael Grant novel I've read, and all I can say is that I wish I hadn't waited so long!My favourite aspect of this novel is definitely its grounding in nano-science, and the ways in which Grant makes the nano-world come alive. The descriptions of normal, often beautiful things, turns sinister when seen in the nano-scale, and it never failed to make me cringe and freak out. Eyes and skin are way scarier than I'd ever thought they'd be! I enjoyed the way the science is explained in the book through natural dialogue, without breaking up the action or making us wade through info-dumps. Grant doesn't fall into the pit of over explaining the science, as many science fiction writers are prone to do.It's also refreshing to read a young adult novel that incorporates a complex plot and intelligent world-building. Too often I read books where authors have consciously written for a younger audience by over simplifying plot elements or glossing over the world-building.I'd initially thought I wouldn't much like any of the characters in this book - they all seemed too different from me, I couldn't relate to them on any level. As I got to know them better, however, I found out that I have something in common with all of them, Sadie, Noah, even Vincent. I love Sadie, especially the way she cleverly and carefully navigates that thin line between amazing, tough heroine and over-competent, unbelievable teenager. She's drawn very well, and provides a great counterpoint to Noah, who has a tendency to jump into situations without looking to see where he'll land.The moral ambiguity of this novel is something I really liked, especially since these days novels are so clear-cut about which side we should be on. Sadie and Noah question themselves frequently, and are quick to point out that they are asked to do exactly the same things as their enemies, so how do they know they're any better? I could also see the point that the other side is trying to make, and although I feel like free will should always win out over hive-mind mentality and cohesion, it does raise a compelling point about the human condition. I would, however, have liked more examination of why Bug Man and his associates believe so vehemently in their cause. And I want to know who Lear is, so so bad!I loved BZRK! I don't think it's a novel for everyone - people going in for a light, science fiction read will be sorely disappointed, but fans of science fiction who want to experience a near-future world will love this.  I have the sequel, BZRK Reloaded, ready to go, and I am now desperate to find some time to read Michael Grant's other series, starting with Gone.You can read more of my reviews at Speculating on SpecFic.

It's official: Planesrunner is an exhilarating read! It's a perfectly balanced tale of science and adventure, and I enjoyed it immensely. I am so glad I have the sequel ready to devour!My favourite aspect of the book is the world-building. Parallel universe and multiplicity are the main concerns of the novel, and when Everett's father, a theoretical physicist, finds a way to open gates into the these other worlds, and creates a map for them, Everett's life changes forever. Soon we're careening into an alternate London, where fossil fuels never took off, and steam generated electricity is main power source. And instead of aeroplanes, transportation over large distances is completed in ... airships! I loved it all, and I feel that this other world is tangibly different from ours. Sometimes authors create their parallel worlds with things that are too familiar, but McDonald gives it new cultures, a new history and even a new language (that was fun!)Another thing I really admire is  how McDonald explains the science behind the multiple universes theory. This story is well grounded in physics, and all the concepts are very well explained. I'm in awe at how the author incorporates the necessary background without breaking from the action of the story - I didn't think the science was too heavy-handed, and the concepts are introduced clearly and concisely.Everett Singh is our main protagonist, a young boy with Punjabi Indian heritage and a passion for all things science. He's also a genius: he understands abstract scientific concepts naturally, and can apparently think in seven dimensions, and he's an amazing chef. Ok, so he's unrealistic, unbelievable, too perfect. But it somehow went with the story - I think everything else was so fantastical and awesome that I was able to overlook the fact that Everett is amazing at everything he does and doesn't have any discernible flaws. I'm biased though - I think I also just really enjoyed a protagonist whom I could relate to on a cultural level, and a lot of the commentary on Punjabi and Indian families rang true for me.Where Planesrunner shines is its secondary cast - the crew of the Everness. The crew of the Everness is led by Captain Anastasia Sixsmyth, a woman I instantly admired for her forthrightness and spunk. Her daughter, Sen Sixsmyth, is the pilot of the Everness, and an amazing, quirky girl. I really like Sen, but I found it weird that she automatically assumed that Everett was homosexual when he didn't display interest in her. I don't like that kind of thinking - 'you're not interested in me, so you mustn't bat for my team' - Sen can't seem to understand it might just be her. The rest of the crew is made up of the hilarious Bible quoting Sharkey, and the stoic, sort-of mysterious Mchynlyth, a Punjabi-Scot. The villain of the story, Charlotte Villiers, is by contrast almost cartoonish, with the author neglecting to allow readers to understand her at all.Disappointingly, Planesrunner doesn't really explore the idea of multiple versions of the same person running into one another. It's mentioned, but considering it's the very first thing mentioned int he blurb, I had expected more of an emphasis on this aspect of the multiple-universe theory.Overall, Planesrunner is an incredible read, and I recommend it to anyone who likes science fiction. I think the world building and amazing execution will impress many readers, and look forward to reading the sequel, Be My Enemy, soon.A copy of this book was provided by the publisher for review.You can read more of my reviews at Speculating on SpecFic.

Taking up close to where vN left off, iD follows Javier's journey to set things right after everything goes wrong on Amy's island. Although I liked the book well enough, I feel that some of the magic was missing, and I'm not convinced that Javier is as compelling a protagonist as Amy was.Javier makes a few silly decisions throughout this book, and the idea behind them is that he lacks the freedom to have done anything differently. While the focus of vN was very much about the rights that a robot can expect in the human world, iD closely explores the consequences of the failsafe in robots. The failsafe ensures that robots freeze or blue-screen if they harm a human being, or witness harm being done to a human being and fail to interfere (like Asimov's three rules, but subtly different). The failsafe is the reason that Javier, initially programmed for the use of humans to gratify their ... cravings, is especially vulnerable. The question of whether a human can rape a robot, especially one that is compelled to do everything it can to make sure humans are happy, is at the forefront of this story. I'm not sure how I felt about it. I think it's an interesting, compelling question to ask, but I soon tired of just how many sexual interactions there are in the book. It made me deeply uncomfortable to see Javier treated that way, and to see him use sex as a tool to get the answers he was after. But this is very much the idea behind the book.I liked getting to see other communities of robots, and especially learning what they thought of Amy, her rebellion, and her island. I think these interactions provided a lot of information about lives of different castes of robots. The world has also expanded so we get a feel for what humans feel about robots as well - the last book was filled with humans who wanted to control Amy because her failsafe wasn't working, but this book features humans on a broader spectrum.I had difficulty connecting with the plot of iD - something about it failed to engage with me. Most of this can be attributed to the change in protagonist - as I outlined before, he failed to really click with me. However, I also think this book is less thrilling in general, and iD feels like it was extended or padded out. A lot of the action could have been condensed into a shorter, punchier book, in my opinionOverall, iD is an enjoyable read, but I struggled with the changes in protagonist and focus. I liked getting to know the story-world a lot better, and am still sufficiently invested in the characters to be excited about the next book in the sequence.A copy of this book was provided by the publisher for review.You can read more of my reviews at Speculating on SpecFic.

I am never going to pick up a book because of its cover again. It serves me right, it really does.Do you know how excited I was about Ink? It is probably the YA début I anticipated the most in 2013, I'm even on a video saying it's the HarlequinTeen release I'd love to read the most. So you can probably imagine how heart-wrenching it is for me to say this - Ink isn't the book it's pretending to be.The juvenile, non-sensical plot elements that made Twilight one of my most hated reads are present in full force throughout Ink, and the only differences I could discern are the change in setting (Forks to Japan) and mythology (vampires to Japanese Kami). The unbalanced insta-love, the lack of self-preservation instinct on the heroine's part, the stilted story telling and hazy world building all contributed to my disappointment.Remember Bella? Remember how she was so irrationally convinced that a vampire, who craved her blood specifically, wouldn't hurt her? Well Katie sees a mysterious boy at school, one who tries to intimidate her, and she decides the best thing to do is follow him around after school. Because he's hiding something and she damned well wants to know what it is. Her stalking skills give Edward Cullen a run for his money, and even when it became painfully obvious that Tomohiro was bad news, she continues to follow him around and force her company on him.When the whole 'I can do freaky things with the things I draw' part comes to light, Katie is strangely accepting of the whole thing. No thinking she's losing her mind, no avoiding Tomohiro because he's obviously dangerous/crazy/magical. It just didn't feel realistic to me.Remember Jacob? Remember how he was just there, Bella's friend, and then suddenly he was a love interest and it gave you (me) whiplash? Katie makes a mysterious friend named Jun, who's indescribably hot, but she doesn't see him in that way. It never, never strikes Katie as weird that Jun turns up everywhere she goes. She's basically too busy stalking Tomohiro to realise she's got her own stalker, and even when Jun knows things about her and her friends that prove he's been following her around, it doesn't click to Katie as weird until much later.On the topic of Bella's Katie's friends, Yuki and Tanaka are as stereotypical as they get. Yuki is the over-excitable Japanese girl, kept around to provide Katie with alibis and for her to vent her boy-gossip to. Tanaka is the cute guy friend who might be interested in her, and Katie keeps thinking to herself that life would be so much easier if she'd fallen for him instead (remember Mike Newton anyone?).What I did like about the book is its setting in Japan. I haven't ever been there, so I can't comment on whether the descriptions are accurate, but the place that is described in the book is magical, and I'd really love to go there. I feel this novel has a very strong sense of place, and I really enjoyed getting to know a bit more about Japanese life and culture. I'm not sure about the grounding of the supernatural element in Japanese mythology. I don't feel like it was explained well enough for me to truly understand, but this might be because the characters themselves are stumbling around in the dark.I also really liked the illustrations that pepper the novel, they bring Tomohiro's drawings to life and helped me imagine what Katie might be seeing a bit more.I wish Ink was more. I wish it was stronger, had a tighter plot line,that Katie and the rest of the characters stood out from the pages. I wish I wasn't so disappointed. I hope, that if you pick it up, you find it to your liking. I pray the undoubtably pretty cover of the sequel won't pull me in.A copy of this book was provided by the publisher for review.You can read more of my reviews at Speculating on SpecFic.

This novella is so sweet! It follows Edmund Blithe, who blithely turns up to work, alive and well, exactly a year after his death. Chaos ensues, and soon he's being questioned by government officials and hounded by the media. But he has no answers - he can't even remember being dead. According to his memory, he proposed to his girlfriend, Emily, a few days ago, and all he wants to do is see her again.Emily has spent the last year trying to forget the man who died the day after he proposed to her. She's stopped wearing the ring, and is finally moving on, when he miraculously comes back from the dead. I felt like I got to know Emily really well in the brief time I was able to spend with her - she's a strong character who literally flies off the page. I feel that Edmund isn't as strong, but I think that the author captured his bewilderment and craving for normalcy well.This prequel novella forms a great introduction into the mysterious phenomenon at the heart of Jason Mott's The Returned, and the couple have the cutest, cutest story. I hope we get to see how they're coping in The Returned.You can read more of my reviews at Speculating on SpecFic.

I don't know if I enjoyed The Sparrow as much as The First - I think it deals with weightier issues, and in such a short book, it feels disjointed and stilted. Whereas The First is about the very first person who comes back from the dead, The Sparrow deals with the darker side of the phenomenon.When Heather and Matt find a little girl who's been Returned, Matt is more interested in studying her - hoping to be the first person to crack their mysteries, than taking care of her. Heather just wants to reunite the girl with her parents, and the couple clash repeatedly. There are large gaps in time throughout the novella - a technique the author has obviously had to apply in order to tell the whole story in such a short space. However, this means that we don't get to see the relationship between Tatiana and Heather grow, we just have to accept the author's word that it happened.Matt is such a jerk, and he infuriated me a lot! Which I think is great, because it can be difficult for authors to ensure their characters in their short stories make an impact. I think it's safe to say that Jason Mott is a talented author! I'm really looking forward to reading the full length novel set in this world.This novella, alongside The First, forms a gentle introduction into the world of The Returned, and is just enough to whet one's appetite for the highly anticipated release. I know I can't wait!You can read more of my reviews at Speculating on SpecFic.

It took me a long time - more than half way through the novel - to really get into Venom, and there was a time when I contemplated not finishing it. Something about Cassandra and her predicament refused to click with me, and I couldn't see the so-called romance between her and Falco as anything but an overly contrived way of showing the choices Cass has to make in her life. But the story grew on me, as did the characters, and I ended up liking it in the end. I think this has a lot to do with Luca.Cassandra is a noblewoman in Venice, who gets caught up in a murder mystery when the body of her recently deceased friend is replaced by that of a murder victim. She's engaged to Luca, a boy she thinks of with disdain and faint horror, and is basically desperately searching for an adventure. Enter the artist Falco, who starts helping her uncover the mysterious deaths occurring in Venice, who provides just the distraction, and thrill of the forbidden, that Cass is looking for.I couldn't like Cass for so long throughout this book - she constantly complains of the 'cage' around her and the fact that her life is predetermined for her. However, she  readily escapes her home to accompany Falco on many late night adventures, and successfully pulls the wool over everyone's eyes, so you'll have to forgive me for not taking her seriously. Her dissatisfaction with her upcoming wedding also seemed forced to me - she never considers that the boy she hasn't seen for three years may have grown into a man she could love and there's very little discussion over whether she would have a choice in the match. Without ever coming out and saying she'd much rather not marry Luca, Cass assumes that everyone is hell-bent on forcing her to marry him, when it seems to me that this is far from the case. Everyone else assumes she's happy because they have been friends since childhood, and Cass has never implied that she doesn't want to marry him.Her romance with Falco doesn't make any sense to me. I recognise that he represents everything that Cass feels she doesn't have in her life: danger, excitement, love, but there are too many creepy vibes coming off him for me to really believe that she could like him. He hangs around in graveyards, has no problem kissing and making out with her even though she's engaged (although she has an equal choice in the matter and it doesn't seem to bother her either), takes her to the most unsavoury places and leaves her unguarded, free to be groped by strangers, and yet, Cass still swoons over his eyes, smile, hands, other anatomy. It's tragic.What really turned this book around for me was Luca. Once he was back on the scene I was a goner. Far from the awkward, socially inept boy Cass had repeatedly described, Luca is a wonderful gentleman. And good-looking to boot. I kept waiting for Cass to see how amazing he is, and I think she got there in the end. Luca has his mysteries too, but I always felt he genuinely cared to Cass's heath and wellbeing, and he is the only character in the book to ask her if she's happy with their match. I am really looking forward to seeing him and Cass built a relationship in future books.The murder mystery in itself is quite interesting, but there are too many players in it for my liking. There are still so many questions that have been left unanswered, but I liked the way the story was wrapped up. There are a lot of clues in this book, and it's hard to keep track of which murder victim knew whom, and how all the suspects and victims were related, but I enjoyed this aspect of the novel all the same.One of the major disappointments in the book is the general tone. I think the author has re-created the atmosphere of Venice quite well, but the way the characters talked felt off to me. There are many phrases and colloquialisms used in Venom that I feel are too modern-American for the setting of the book. I also disliked the smattering of Italian phrasing throughout the book. It seems wrong - supposedly the whole narrative is occurring in Italian, and we're obviously reading it in English, but the way mi dispiace, molte scusi, mannaggia and other Italian phrases are incorporated into the novel is tiresome. I feel like they should have been excluded all together, rather than kept in as clumsy reminders that the action is occurring in a foreign landscape as they have the effect of cheapening the setting.I ended up liking Venom quite a bit more than I'd first thought I would, and I am glad that I have the sequel, Belladonna, ready to read. I've been sucked into Cassandra, Luca and Falco's lives, and I want to see them unravel the mysterious society that is the Order of the Eternal Rose.You can read more of my reviews at Speculating on SpecFic.

Although I was initially wary of this book, the more I read, the more the story grew on me. I think the story could have been strengthened by paying closer attention to the protagonists' voice and by taking away some of the more cartoonish aspects of the mafia scene.Fiona was born invisible, and her mafia-boss father has used her to steal, manipulate and spy since she was old enough. When he tries to use her as an assassin, however, Fiona's mother decides enough is enough, and they run away. However, the mind-control powers her father employs are addictive, and Fiona and her mother have run away before, only to succumb to their craving for his approval. On tenterhooks, surrounded by strangers, and terrified that her mother will give them up at any moment, Fiona starts school and tries to live a normal life.The tone of this book came across as too juvenile for my liking - Fiona has a weirdly light way of describing the mafia, her father and what they get up to, never seeming to really realise how dark those things are. She judges the students at her new school for not realising how good they have it, but I never saw any evidence that she herself had any idea. When the mafia do make appearances, it's comical and over-exaggerated, and even the violence becomes weird, slapstick. I'm not convinced there was ever any gravitas to the crime scene used in the novel, even though the very idea of a teenager being used in the ways Fiona was terrifies me. The violence between Fiona and he family members felt unrealistic and gratuitous and yet strangely troubling. I almost feel like the author watched an episode too many of The Sopranos while writing this.I liked the world that Natalie Whipple has created and the powers, big and small, that everyone possesses. There are the usual powers - flight, strength, charisma, telekinesis, mind-reading - but Whipple has also created some unique ones as well. I think my favourite power is the scent-replication that Fiona's brother Miles posses - even though he thinks it's useless, I think it's really cool. Plus he can do some awesome things with it. Bea's voice throwing is also awesome.I found it really hard to like any of the characters in this book - they're all under-developed and annoying (some only mildly so, but others infuriated me). Fiona, in particular, is a whiny brat who makes nonsensical decisions and likes to blame everyone but herself for her problems. She won't cut her mother a break, even though the woman was in an abusive relationship, and she treats the students at her school with contempt and hates a girl on sight because she's pretty. It's ridiculous. I also couldn't understand is Graham, who claims that he cares about Fiona and her mother, and is trying to protect them, but degenerates to violence alarmingly quickly any time Fiona questions him or refuses to follow his orders. The rest of the cast is two-dimensional and stereotypical, but there are nuggets of brilliance in the relationship between Bea and her brothers, and between Fiona and Miles.Transparent is a very quick, light read, enjoyable on some counts, but amateurish and clichéd on others. Although the book leaves a lot to be desired, there are moments in characterisation and plot that shine through.A copy of this book was provided by the publisher for review.You can read more of my reviews at Speculating on SpecFic.

These two short stories take place within the time frame of The Painted Man and almost read like outtakes from the novel. But Brett has ensured that each is self-contained, although its place within a larger framework in never in doubt. Of the two, Brayan's Gold is my favourite, so let's start there.Brayan's Gold tells of Arlen's first mission, the first time he has to spend more than two nights outside since his perilous journey to Miln. I was surprised at how much of Arlen's character Brett has managed to pack into such a short story, and still have enough time for the introduction of a handful of new characters, a new type of demon, and thrilling fight scene. This story has everything, and its short and punchy nature added to my enjoyment. I really liked this short dip into Arlen's world, and relished the opportunity to relive what Arlen was like before the tattoos, before the world turned him into such a cynic.The Great Bazaar is a story I dearly wish I had read before I began The Desert Spear - the information in it would have been a lot more interesting prior to all those chapters about Krasia. Still, I liked seeing how Arlen came by the map to Anoch Sun, and witnessing the small victories Abban has in the bazaar as a khafit.These novellas shed light into the kinds of things that happened to Arlen in the timeline breaks in The Painted Man, and are the perfect read for fans of The Demon Cycle. As the stories are complete, and make sense without the context of the wider series, I would also recommend them to readers who may be unsure whether they want to dive into Brett's epic series. I really liked them, and now I can't wait to begin reading the third instalment, The Daylight War!You can read more of my reviews at Speculating on SpecFic.

Storm Watcher is a poignant and compelling read which had me on the verge of tears more than once.I came into this book thinking, hoping, it was a paranormal fantasy, perhaps about a boy who can channel the power of a storm. Storm Watcher is a heartwarming contemporary about a young boy who recently lost his mother, and then found himself without the support of his elder brothers and father as well. Every individual, every family, grieves in its own way, and this is the story of how that grief can affect the youngest and the most vulnerable.No magic powers here, except perhaps the extraordinary strength of will Luke displays. There's a lot of darkness in his life, made of sadness and loss and guilt and blame, but the way Luke manages with it brought tears to my eyes. It absolutely killed me to see this young kid beset by so much, when the people who were meant to be helping him were too busy taking out their negativity on him.My favourite aspect of the book are its characters, who are realistic, even the ones I hated, and I could see the motivations behind each and every one of them. Storm Watcher is a story about people, and the characters in the narrative represent humanity with its strengths and flaws. I love that they all make mistakes and snap-judgements, and don't always know how to apologise.Maria V. Snyder's masterful writing has swept me away yet again, not that I should really be surprised! The characteristics that make her YA fantasy novels so well loved - the characters and their relationships, the worlds they live in, the struggles they overcome - are all present. I loved Storm Watcher, and recommend it to all her fans.You can read more of my reviews at Speculating on SpecFic.