A Cast of Stones

I finished A Cast of Stones by Patrick W. Carr a few days ago and have let the story simmer in my mind, trying to decide precisely what to say about this first in the Staff and the Sword trilogy. Basically, it all boils down to this: It is fantastic, action-packed, and riveting. Now allow me to expound a bit on this rollicking good tale and why you should read it right this minute.

Errol is the town drunk; something happened in his life a few years ago and now the young man prefers to spend his time inside an ale tankard, content with his lot, doing the odd job here and there. All that comes to an abrupt halt when he agrees to carry a message to a reclusive priest for some coin; expecting this to be a rather mundane task, Errol instead finds himself fired upon by an assassin as he seeks out Martin the priest. Things go from bad to worse when Martin, his friend Luis, and Errol are poisoned, and then they find themselves on yet another mission in which Errol gets separated from his traveling companions. It is then that the biggest change comes to our unlikely hero; forced by injury to give up the ale, Errol learns to use a staff as a deadly weapon. This skill leads him to a traveling merchant caravan; he joins in order to meet up with his missing friends but quickly finds himself at the mercy of the caravan's leader. Add into this the fact that someone is stalking him, knowing his every move, putting his life in danger, and Errol knows he must get to the isle of Erinon as quickly as possible. And, oh, did I mention that Errol has the uncanny ability to cast lots--a skill that allows those asking questions which path to take?

A Cast of Stones starts off with a bang and doesn't let go throughout the entire book. Errol is a sympathetic lead character, making mistake after mistake, unsure of himself and definitely not talented (at least at first). The brilliant character development, however, slowly reveals another side, and Errol begins to realize that he can make a difference in the fate of the kingdom. The supporting characters are just as well drawn, with motives and emotions bringing depth to what otherwise might have been just another hero tale. Just as I found myself invested in one scenario, I'd be led into another scene that would capture me, making me feel as though I had to keep reading to find out what happens next. That's good storytelling, people.

If I have any complaints about A Cast of Stones, it might be the speed of the "romantic" relationship Errol encounters late in the book; still not sure I'm buying it, even though it's mostly just hinted at at this point. But in a book filled with a wide array of characters of varying degrees of morality, that's a very minor point. I have to say that this debut author has captured me completely, and I'm eager for the second book to be in my hands as quickly as possible. This trilogy, and this author, are definitely rising stars you want to keep your eye on. Recommended.

*I received a copy of this book from the publisher, Bethany House, for review without prejudice.

~taminator40

Scarlet

Scarlet picks up pretty much where Cinder left off--Cinder is in jail and Levana has Kai precisely where she wants him. But Cinder being Cinder, she's not going to just rot in jail until she's exported to Luna; using her new found Lunar "gifts", Cinder escapes from jail with a rather hapless accomplice named Thorne and takes off in a stolen air ship, hoping to discover more about her existence on earth and her life as Princess Selene. Meanwhile, far away in France, Scarlet is tending her missing grandmother's farm, frustrated that no one will take her seriously when she claims her grandmother has gone missing. Enter Wolf, a street fighter who happens to intrigue Scarlet, and the two set off on a journey to find said missing grandmother...who is also the woman responsible for saving Princess Selene. Nice tie-in there.

Scarlet got off to a bit of a slow start for me, but once Scarlet and Wolf go on the run, things pick up quickly and the back and forth between the two main characters kept me saying "just one more chapter" until I was done. I liked how Scarlet felt betrayed and yet was willing to trust her instincts; I love Cinder and her sarcasm, and once I got used to Thorne, he rapidly became a favorite character. Meyer's world-building is meticulous and layered, with many not whom they seem to be and lots of wrenches being thrown into play. Nothing is ever easy and most of the time I was breathless waiting to see how on earth they were going to get out of the predicaments they found themselves in. From the nastiness of Cinder's stepmother, to Kai's sacrifice, to Thorne's irritating self-delusion, all of the characters shine with life. Excellent read and ready for number three!

~taminator40

Cinder by Marissa Meyer

I picked up Cinder on the advice of a couple of good reading buddies, though I wasn't so sure it would be anything new in the world of fairy tale retellings. I'm beyond delighted to report that it far exceeded my expectations! Not wasting time in recounting the plot, I will simply list what I enjoyed so much about this well-written book.

Likes: Cinder herself. Despite being part cyborg, she's amazingly real with authentic human emotions. I loved the interaction between Cinder and her little sister Peony (and that was only reinforced by what happened later). I liked how Cinder took responsibility for Iko who was really nothing more than a machine, and I thought the relationship between Cinder and Kai was fun and teasing. Unlike some reviewers, I didn't feel it was too rushed because occasionally we meet someone and we just click with them, and I felt that was what happened between those two. I liked Cinder's sarcastic sense of humor, and I loved her mechanic skills! The plot, while never losing sight of its general theme of a retelling, did move in unexpected, if somewhat puzzling, ways, and the true evil of Queen Levanna has me wondering just how she's going to be ultimately defeated. And the way Cinder met challenges? Brilliant, even when she seemed to have given up. I will never count her out.

Dislikes/Quibbles: Cinder did get into the ball a little too easily, even if I could explain it away by her "gift"; in fact, she really did have a lot of freedom of movement in a city under siege. Oh well...big deal. It's a fairy tale, right? And I did figure out the big reveal amazingly early, though my interest never wavered despite knowing where we were headed. And yep, that's all I can think of as far as dislikes.

Cinder is such fun and such an original take, mixing fantasy and sci-fi, that the pages turned themselves. I'm in this series for the long haul--Ms. Meyer's writing has captured me fully. On to the next one!

~taminator40

Scent of Magic

Scent of Magic picks up almost exactly where Power of Touch leaves off. Kerrick and Avry are alone after Avry has survived the plague, but they won't be together for long. Both have missions of their own to accomplish, so with promises to reunite soon, they separate. Kerrick is headed north to his kingdom and Avry is headed toward Estrid's army which is waiting to engage Tohon's army. Naturally things do not go as planned; Avry infiltrates Estrid's army in disguise in order to help train them, while Kerrick ends up prisoner to the marching northern tribes. Throughout the course of the book, each one's story is told in alternating chapters as we watch tragedy, hope, and war bloom among the main characters.

I am in love with this series! Is it the best written series ever? Nope. Does it offer anything new as far as fantasy goes? Nope. But what it does do is provide an intriguing storyline with a heroine who is not waiting around to be rescued and a supporting cast that is almost as interesting as the heroine. I love Avry's voice; she's not always reasonable and at times she's downright moody, but she cares so deeply for those she loves and she tries to do the right thing always. In the book's final conflict between she and Tohon, I was cheering her on every step of the way. She's got so much heart that even if there wasn't a romantic link between she and Kerrick, I'd be hooked into reading about them because of her force of will. And while a few of the characters--ahem, Cellina--really work my last nerve at every turn, all of them are realistically flawed and well-described.

I read Scent of Magic on the heels of finishing Power of Touch, and I'm extremely glad I did so. I was able to keep the momentum going and recall the cast of characters vividly, something I fear may diminish with the third book since I have to wait until later in the year for its release. But make no mistake, I'll be there for Book Three; Maria V. Snyder has yet to let me down as an author and I'm on board with this series completely, flaws and all.

~taminator40

Touch of Power Review

Touch of Power immediately started with our heroine, Avry, doing the right thing and almost being killed for it. In her world, healers such as she are on the run, outlawed and hunted down because of the recent plague pandemic they could not quell. Avry's been hiding out in small towns and attempting not to use her magical gift, but she simply cannot help herself when faced with the illness of a young child she knows. Once her secret is out, she's condemned to die...but wait, someone rescues her just in the nick of time. Though Avry of course takes the opportunity to live, she knows it won't be without strings attached, and they are big: She's being forcefully taken to heal Ryne, king of one of the Fifteen Realms. What her captors don't know is that if she heals Ryne, she will die, and besides that, she doesn't even like the guy.

Much of Touch of Power takes place as Avry and her captors, who become her friends, travel toward the Nine Mountains so she can heal Ryne. To say that Avry is less than thrilled with leader Kerrick is an understatement; but it's equally evident that there are sparks flying between the two and that they work well together. A lot of time is spent on Avry learning the tricks of the forest and there are some side forays such as helping a girl who has been kidnapped that add to the length of the book. The best parts are the interactions between Avry, Belen, and the "monkeys" (the men helping Kerrick retrieve Avry); it's so nice to see genuine friendships develop slowly, and it gives depth to Avry's character. There is a lot of repetition in the travels: staying away from Death Lilies, sleeping in caves, escaping mercenaries; while those things didn't bother me, I do wonder now if perhaps they could have somehow been varied a bit. The whole story with Avry's sister Noelle took me by surprise and I look forward to seeing how it will all play out in the future.

I loved Avry's spirited personality and her headstrong attitude and felt she was definitely the brightest link in the book. Smart female protagonists always enhance my enjoyment and Avry is no exception, with her sharp mind and outstanding sense of sarcasm. A few times I was drawn out of the story by the modern feeling of the dialogue, but since it's a fantasy, I feel the author can choose to write it as she wishes. I was not such a fan of Kerrick, however; I disliked his unwillingness to listen and definitely despised his treatment, sometimes physical, of Avry early on. It's going to take some doing before I'm 100% on board with him.

My biggest complaint, if it can be termed as such, is that it's hard to gauge the readership for this novel. Though the characters are in their twenties, they often interact and react as though they were teens. While I see this novel as appealing to all fantasy readers and most young adult readers, I wonder if there will be those who will nitpick the actions of twenty-somethings who do not seem fully adult. But Maria V. Snyder's writing fully engages and those minor concerns are lost in the overall fun and action of the story. I'm on to the second book!

~taminator40

I Read a Book! Really!

My reaching screeched to an everlasting STOP over the break, just when I thought it might pick up. Oh wells. I finally kick-started with it the fabulous Call the Midwife, the book upon which the PBS series is based. Here's my thoughts:

Like most of the reviewers for Call the Midwife, I picked up the book having seen and loved the PBS television series. I wanted to know more about the world these ladies inhabited, hoping some of the stories would be illuminated with details. What I got was so much more than just a litany of births in the 1950s.

Worth is a good storyteller, and the book features many of the incidents seen (and in a few cases, embellished) in the series. I fell in love all over again with the Sisters of Nonnatus, especially Sister Monica Joan, whose exploits are often explained away due to her age (but she's still a sly one!). Life in the convent is at times stifling but mostly friendly and supportive, and the friendships formed go far beyond professional bounds. In this regard, the book really shines much more fully than the tv series; we get to understand why Jenny felt as she did about the Sisters and how their quiet fortitude leads her to her own religious awakening (which is done tastefully and not centrally). But it is the personal stories of the women giving birth that stand out, including Conchita, mother of 25, and poor young Mary, tricked, used, and abused and finally the ultimate victim of betrayal. These women's lives are woven into the fabric of Worth's career and life through evocative description and realistic situations.

If there is any problem with Call the Midwife, it is that at times Worth over-lingers on a story, stretching it over the course of 3-4 chapters. Personally I would've preferred either longer chapters or more editing in the telling, but this issue is really not worth much in the course of such a well written book. I will be rewatching the series now with a fresher eye, knowing that many of the stories are based in truth. This story rates a solid 4.5 stars and can be highly recommended.

~taminator40

A Crewel World

In the miasma of dystopian young adult fiction out there today, I admit I've become somewhat jaded. I was pretty sure I'd read it all and there weren't any new ways to take us eerily into the future. And then I read the blurb for Crewel and thought, hmmm...now that's different. And it certainly was in lots of ways, even if a little hard to follow at times. Set in the futuristic society of Arras, the country is run by the Guild--and everything is orchestrated by Spinsters who see the "weave" of everything. Much like the Fates of the myths, these Spinsters have control of all life in Arras--but the Guild has control of them.

In this society, children are given assignments (as well as marriage plans!) at age sixteen. All her life, Adelice's parents have striven to hide the fact that the she is special: she can see the weave without the aid of a loom. This means that Adelice will be taken away after her official testing, never to see her family again, so they work to help her learn to hide her talents. Of course it all goes badly and Adelice's family is torn asunder; she finds herself taken by the Guild, set up in a fancy room, given lots of things including a stylist, and told she will weave for the rest of her life. But Adelice is no shrinking violet, and she finds herself in trouble right off the bat--as well as the center of attention between two young men, Josten and Erik.

There's a lot to like in Crewel, including Adelice's rather ascerbic wit and the fast pace of the action. I do wish we hadn't found ourselves stuck between two gorgeous suitors because it's a little been there, done that. I also had some trouble figuring out just what was going on towards the end--I won't give it away here, but it is confusing as to how the main characters...did what they did. But I loved the idea of Crewel; its originality is a definite plus, and I'm eager to find out where we are going. I just hope we're not left hanging too long until the next installment.

~taminator40

A Graphic Novel For a Change of Pace

Resistance is a graphic novel about three children in France during World War II who join the Resistance against the Nazis occupying their country. I say three children, but the eldest is a teen girl who is interested in local boys and is able to lead her brother and sister to Paris with a Jewish boy whose parents have escaped Nazi custody there. The youngest is Marie, a rather loud bossy youngster, and then there is Paul, her slightly older brother whose good friend Henri escapes being taken with his parents when he is away from home during the day. The two decide to hide Henri in a cave but also find out their sister and mother are helping the Resistance. With a rather scary train ride, the siblings must escort Henri to his parents.

I had high hopes for this novel but ultimately I was let down. While I could see it perhaps appealing to a younger reading set, I didn't find the story especially intriguing and Marie was downright annoying (as little sisters can often be). The graphics themselves are all right but not really anything special; I did find some of the scenes drawn by young Paul to be enlightening. I suppose I was expecting to be drawn into this world completely, and I did not feel the story was realistic in how easily the children became involved in the Resistance. However, if the goal was to expose readers to the role of children during the French Resistance, its mission was accomplished, albeit in a light manner. Could be read by an adult in a very short sitting, and might possibly bring younger readers to want to learn more about France's World War II history.

~taminator40

Reached brings us to the end of Cassia's issues with the Society and her potential Matches, Ky and Xander. Now a member of the Rising, Cassia works undercover as a Trader while she waits to see if the Pilot will come to power. She knows both Ky and Xander are taking risks for the Rising so they cannot be together, but when a Plague epidemic strikes, she knows the time has come. Problem is, those who unleashed the Plague did not anticipation it mutating and placing those they love in great danger. This is where the trio become reunited and a race against time for the cure begins.

While Reached does not give on the edge of your seat excitement, it does move everything along to its ultimate conclusion well. There are lots of scenes where Cassia must interact with those she's either known in the past or has feelings for, and lots of mysteries are explained, though some take a while to get there. What I liked most is that Cassia's feelings for her family were never left out, nor did she put her feelings for Ky ahead of those for family. It's nice to see a heroine acknowledging her longing for her grandfather and the debt she owes to those who have gone before. There are some coincidences in the book, such as the identity of Lei, which probably stretched my imagination more than they should have, and a few times I felt as though some action was thrown in simply to pad the story. I did feel Indie got shortchanged, and I would have liked to have read more about upcoming changes to the communities and if the Otherlands existed. Perhaps that will all be answered in another book or two.

My biggest gripe with Reached, which I found interesting and intriguing overall, was the Pilot himself. He just was. That's it--I did not feel much about him one way or the other. What was the big attraction? How did he personally come into power? He seemed threatening at times and just bewildered at others. Though I could see him as figurehead for the Rising, I was ultimately let down by everything about him, including how he came to know about our trio. I really didn't understand why those three made an impact on him out of thousands, and I felt he treated them shabbily in expecting so much.

Reached isn't without its issues, but it definitely is deep on meaning and relationships, and those components alone kept me involved in the story. I felt Reached was a big improvement over Crossed, and I liked the ultimate resolution. I loved the idea that Cassia could have been part of something she didn't know about for so long, and I loved that these three relied mostly on brains rather than luck. A good solid ending to the trilogy.

~taminator40

I've Said This For Years!

I am. not. a. jazz. fan.  I do like big band, but jazz?  Ugh, ugh, ugh. 

So when I heard Dwight and Angela's conversation on The Office the other night, I felt like someone had been channeling my thoughts. I think Angela replies something to the effect of:  "Yes, jazz is stupid. Just pick a note and play it."  

Amen.

~taminator *not a jazz fan*  40