TURNING PAGES: Weather Witch by Shannon Delany

Since A.F. finished HER review of DARK TRIUMPH before I could finish the book (!) I am going with my second string review for today.

Reader Gut Reaction: I loved the alliterative title of this book, which helped give me reasons to pick it up - I'm a sucker for that kind of thing. Coupled with an attractive cover, I was easily reeled in to a tale of a witch in trouble.

While initially I was excited about the novel, I realized that I was two-thirds in before the action really started. I felt like a lot of time better spent in developing the plot was spent on setting the scene. I was disappointed with where the novel ended - with a missed connection and no real understanding of what was going on. Let me explain...

Concerning Character: Something is coming. In his tower in the Hub, where he takes power from the captive Weather Witches to fuel the lights of the city, Bran knows. It is not the rumor of steam power, which will make his job redundant, and make the Weather Witches ordinary citizens. It is something real - not the rumor of steam, but something dire, something fell, something dark as night. But... what?

Elsewhere in the city on this dark night, Jordan Astraea shines. She is one of the stars in the firmament of society, ranked Fifth in the Nine Great Families of Holgate, Philadelphia. Well-bred and ornamental, dressed in a gown of sparkling wire and filmy gauze, Jordan knows her duty - to make the most of her looks, and make a good marriage for her family. She believes that she is fortunate in her friends - and on the night of her seventeenth birthday, Catrina Hollingdale, her best friend, and Fourth of the Nine, and her sometimes-beau, the flippant, light-hearted Rowen Burchette are by her side. Catrina even gave her the glorious dress she now wears.

When the Wardens march on the party and accuse the Astraea family of harboring magick, everyone and everything drops away from Jordan - except Rowen. Abruptly not empty-headed and light-hearted, defying his mother, Rowen refuses to shrink from the family, or Jordan's mother. It's a mistake, he insists. Even when Catrina tries to engage his attention elsewhere, he insists it's a mistake. He sets out to defend her honor -- and sets off a chain of events which end in him leaving home, banished, and unsure of anything except that he wants to see Jordan again.

Jordan, meanwhile, waits patiently and stubbornly for someone to say that this is all a mistake. She has no more magick in her than she has six arms. As the dress grows dingy and she grows bruises from riding to the Hub in cages, she realizes no one is coming to save her. And, as the terrifying man in the Hub brings out his knives to find the root of her power, she realizes if she's going to survive, she might just need to save herself.

ALL of this sounds good, and the premise here is loaded with glittery descriptions, and subtlety that is perhaps necessary to tell the full story with all of the knotty plot issues smoothly laid out. However, I found myself disappointed that the novel ends before anything really happens, and certainly before anything is resolved. So, know going in: This is BOOK 1. You might want to read slowly, because BOOK 2 is going to be awhile.

Recommended for Fans Of...: THE AMULET, by Alison Pensy; WITCHLANDERS, by Lena Coakley; BORN WICKED, Jessica Spotswood

Cover Chatter: I am fond of the silhouette cover. It's being done to death at the moment, probably, but I like it anyway. The swirl of light around the girl's head I take to be the power/light that is drawn out through the Hub to power the pre-steam/post-coal world of 1840's Parallel Universe Pennsylvania.

Authorial Asides: There are tons of people who are fans of the 13 to Life series written by this same author, and many of them are familiar with her style. I think this book has received such high marks elsewhere because people know they can rely on Delany to follow through on the deeply involved, labyrinthine, detail-laden plots she puts together. That kind of confidence is good - I don't think this is a series which would have held up under its weight with a brand-new writer. Though I'm still disappointed that this novel didn't give me more, the writing is strong, the descriptions, world-building, and sense of place is vivid, and I have confidence that the series won't further disappoint. Just... don't expect to be told even a full episode of the story first thing. Bring your patience to the table, and enjoy a good read.

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FTC:This book was an ARC sent via NetGalley, and courtesy of the author. The review is otherwise unsolicited.

AFTER IT JUNE 25th RELEASE, you can find WEATHER WITCH by Shannon Delany online, or at an independent bookstore near you!

Monday Review: DARK TRIUMPH by Robin LaFevers

Reader Gut Reaction: I adored the first book in the His Fair Assassin trilogy, Grave Mercy (reviewed here), so I was all over reading Dark Triumph and continuing the story of the deadly female assassins dedicated to Saint Mortain. In the first book, we were introduced to Ismae, who fled a sordid live and abusive marriage in 15th-century Brittany to join the convent at Saint Mortain. The second book continues the story, which left off as Ismae fled to Rennes with a small group of loyalists devoted to the young duchess, determined to fight off both the invading French and the scheming, dangerous Count d'Albret.

This installment proceeds from the point of view of another of Saint Mortain's blessed, the seemingly harsh and careless Sybella—who finds herself questioning her faith and the abbey of Saint Mortain's methods as she is assigned to a horrifying task: returning home to Nantes to work undercover on behalf of the abbey and the duchess. In return, the abbess promises Sybella that she will be able to have her revenge on d'Albret and her entire revolting family, but of course nothing is as simple as it seems.

Concerning Character: Ismae had an underlying sweetness that made an intriguing and satisfying backdrop for both her difficult life and her new deadly skills. In contrast, Sybella is difficult, angry, and conflicted—and with good reason. Her family's entire modus operandi is treachery, violence, fear, abuse, and manipulation. And in order to enact the ultimate revenge on her family and d'Albret, she must become the very thing she hates. Is this really what Mortain wants for her? Her struggles with faith and identity are wrenching and feel very realistic, though this is at heart an imaginative historical fantasy; the strength and vividness of Sybella as a character carry this story along and keep us rooting for her even when it's hard to see how she can survive unscathed.

Recommended for Fans Of...: Fantasy with strong female characters—the Graceling books by Kristin Cashore, for instance, or anything by Tamora Pierce.

Themes & Things: You are not your family: this is the message that Sybella must learn to accept over the course of the story. She is torn apart inside by her hatred of that unavoidable link with her almost impossibly horrific family, and the fact that she has an ally in her brother Julian is no less repulsive, because love and fear and wrongness are all mixed up no matter which way she looks. In a family where abuse is constant and commonplace, Sybella's service to the convent seemed like a heavenly escape. But sometimes the only way to banish one's demons is to vanquish them face to face. It seems like an impossible task—impossible that she'll succeed, and impossible that she can survive intact. But courage and love and faith come in many forms, too; there's not necessarily one right path, and learning this gives Sybella the strength to find her own way. Um, with a little help from a rather impressive arsenal of assassin's tools….

Review Copy Source: Purchased e-book copy.

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You can find Dark Triumph by Robin LaFevers online, or at an independent bookstore near you!

Pennies from Heaven? Nope, it's 5 & Dime Friday...

A fabulous week, which means there was 100% less SWAT team in my neighborhood. That alone is worth pennies from heaven, but you know what happens when people throw change from up high... DUCK!

Otherwise known as America's Sweethearts, Melissa Wiley and Scott Peterson are ridiculously adorable. I mean, adorkable. Behold, the cartoonist's proposal. Go ahead and sigh, girls, he's well taken, and has been for nineteen years. Happy May 14th, guys, and many happy returns of the date.

RESPECT to the fat kid: Or, we wish YA fiction had some respect for body diversity. But, too often, weight is a Problem Novel focus, with the most desperate attempts to get over it, and only then is the character granted absolution from the sin of thick thighs. In YA fiction being fat categorizes you as victim or bully. Why can't larger characters just be larger, without penalty? CBC Diversity guest blogger Rebecca Rabinowitz takes apart something we rarely talk about.

(True Confession: In A LA CARTE, I wrote a lot about food, and Lainey's weight - her mother's belief that she was fine, and her own belief, based on what she saw from her peers, that she was NOT fine, but I have to admit that I went back and added more anxiety about Lainey's weight, after a comment made me feel like I should, like she should be more concerned, or I was encouraging my readers to be not healthy. Which, looking back, is something a novice writer did, and it was stupid. Don't let others should all over your writing, people. Write the true.)

Additional to the reasoned, considered and considerate conversation in the comments, Fat Girl Reading has a booklist.

This is such an important topic... but it's not one that gains traction in conversation. People duck the discomfort of talking about weight like its invisible second cousin ethnicity (they're related by discomfort levels). Maybe Maureen Johnson can say a word or two about over-sized-12 figures on book covers?? And then maybe people will listen? Who knows.

Speaking of invisible cousins, Betsy Bird and Varian Johnson want to know where all the black boy books are this year. In a word, "Dunno." :sigh: Is it just that we're all so attention deficient in this field that we're only able to give one thing our attention at a time? Once, it was all about getting boys reading. And then, it was about getting heads on the girls on the covers of the YA novels, and de-pinkifying them. Can the topic du jour be something more substantial again, soon?

Speaking of cover art - how about making your own? Merriam-Webster's made a contest. Hurry, photographers - this one ends soon.

Under the heading PISSANT OF THE WEEK: Really, Belizean construction company?? A twenty-three hundred year old pyramid, and ... you used it for road beds? Really?? You lazy skinflints.

Do you hear it? Those solemn martial strains, kind of like the Olympic theme... meh, well, it's stopped now. The tune marked the historic changing of the guard in the realm of the 48 Hour Book Challenge. Pam "Mother Reader" Coughlan has passed her mantle onto Mrs. Yingling and Abby the Librarian, who will wear it with enthusiasm and pride and make another fun and crazy 48 Hour Challenge pass most Bookishly.

And to Pam, thank you.

I've been following the Vivian Maier stories since her photographs were uncovered. I cannot WAIT to see this documentary... Sneaky Vivian Maier, who called herself V. Smith, and sneaked as close as she could to strangers, and photographed them. Private, unique Vivian the nanny, who had a massive lock on her door, and lines her charges knew not to cross. I cannot help but this how much she would just HATE all of this hoopla. Just. Hate. It, with a near feeling of violence. I know I would. But, I still want to see the movie.

In addition, enforcing how similar we are as human beings provides a helpful boost; many minority students fall prey to the concern that they will not be accepted by their peers in school, but researchers found that if they reframed that concern as a part of life, rather than race—essentially showing them surveys and stats that proved fitting in was the concern of all teenagers everywhere—it had an incredibly positive impact.

Writers: when you use shorthand in the form of stereotypes, you perpetuate suck. Don't do it. I used to get sick of myself in grad school talking about the "commonality of the human experience," but that was one of the most valuable life lessons I've learned: all suckitude is spread pretty equally, both by ethnicity and gender - on most things, anyway. This kind of knowledge? Effects kids' self-esteem, and it behooves us as writers to think twice about the silent messages we send.

Well, geez, Texas, you've had t-storms this week, vicious tornadoes in the North, and those monster snails in Houston... and now this!? There's not a Hallmark card to cover having the Loch Ness monster's cousin hunting from your waters, but ... geez... the rest of us are really sorry. And, also, really glad we don't live in Texas.

TURNING PAGES: Reaper's Novice, by Cecilia Robert

It's not every day that you read a book set in Vienna that has really nothing to do with the stereotypical Vienna. I mean, there's the odd schnitzel, a few mentions of Mozart, but only in a passing kind of way. It's funny how some cities seem to fit into middle grade and young adult lit only as historical settings or vacation destinations. What also interested me was that the character was biracial, living in Vienna. There is a realistic mention of racism and some Austria-for-Austrians action which leaves emotional scars. All in all, this is old European city is made modern in this story, which points to an author who lives in Vienna today. This book is published by Trestle Press, which is, as near as I can figure it, the bridge between Smashwords and the printed word.

Reader Gut Reaction: A two-word description of this book would be "emotional roller-coaster." Okay, maybe that's three, but bear with me. Ana Tei, a seventeen-year-old senior, is at first deeply embroiled in the crisis of her parent's fighting. Her brother, Anton, is fourteen, and pretends he doesn't care, but little sister, Lucy, is only seven, and it all cuts her deeply. Three unhappy siblings nestle into a single bed until the fighting is over. It is never explained why they fight, but there is a Grand Plan to Fix Everything in place: the family is going to Italy to spend four memorable days together. However, before the family can get off on their vacation, a car accident threatens everything Ana holds dear. When Ernest - aka the Grim Reaper - appears, Ana's Grand Plan to Fix Everything shifts into high gear. She's sure there's something she can do.

One of the drawbacks of this novel to me is a lack of start-to-finish story arc. It's difficult, when writing a trilogy or a series, to get just enough of the storyline into the first book, and make the reader eager for more, without playing the game of dangling information and leaving ALL the strings untied, instead of tying enough to make a coherent story with a beginning, middle, and end. For instance, at one point, Ana plays her violin, and someone bleeds. Why? Is it the tune? The listener? The violin? What does her playing have to do with soul reaping, and why is her music conservatory important - or unimportant? We'll have to read the next book to hopefully find out.

Concerning Character: An attractive girl who plays violin and has a fine net of scars around her neck and wrists from an odd rash during childhood, Ana is secure in her friend Lea's love, and Reiner has been her best friend since grade school. That Lea and Reiner are now together is even better. It's quickly apparent that Ana will do anything for her those she loves - whether they deserve it or not. Her family first, but her friends are a near second. It is this tenacious love which will both charm and baffle the reader - there are times in the book when the average person would cut their losses and say, "Wow, I can't fix this," but Ana tries to fix it all. This makes her both endearing and exasperating.

Emotional relationships in this novel are incredibly detailed or sparse. Ana and her boyfriend, Rolf, are deeply emotionally involved. It's less clear why Lea loves Ana so much, as most of her emotional attention is spent on Reiner and Rolf, and then, later, on her friend, Zig. Ana's early anguish, at her parents' vicious fighting vanishes in a puff of smoke as circumstances change, but it's never clear how Ana feels about that - and, frankly, I keep expecting things to go back to "normal." The new normal, however, persists - everything is just fine... which seems a little sinister to me.

Without giving anything away, it becomes clear midway through the book that some things have been going on, unbeknownst to Ana, all her life. She is characterized as wanting to know everything -- but her curiosity is imbalanced by emotional reaction - she gets hit with an awful lot of information about her past, her future, and her life -- and she merely wants to know more. In some ways, the pacing disallows the main character a moment to let things sink in, which, in such an action-packed book, leaves the reader kind of dizzy.

Recommended for Fans Of...: THE NEW POLICEMAN, by Kate Thompson; CART & CWIDDER, and others in the Dalemark Quartet, by Diana Wynne Jones; THE CIRCLE OPENS books, by Tamara Pierce; HARPER HALL trilogy by Anne McCaffrey, especially DRAGON SONG. Books where including headstrong and heedless main characters, enigmatic guides, family, friends, and music.

Cover Chatter: There are always plenty of covers a book goes through before arriving where it's going to be. Two covers came from this novel - the Kindle version has the swirly background, and show a girl in her late teens, looking like she's part of neither here, nor there. I like the outlines of the people around her, showing the potential of souls. I like the architecture, which says "ancient European city" there. I don't love the pig tails, though; there's not much time spent on Ana's looks in the novel, but I'd remember that. Of course, I don't pay as much attention to ebook covers, so the print cover is the one I appreciate most. The model appears both biracial, and capable of holding a violin as if she can play it. Two wins! The European architecture, plus the violin seem to speak more to the character, and the swirly light around her body also ties in to the story.

Authorial Asides:Cecilia Robert is Kenyan, as is the father character in her novel. Themes of home are certainly strong in this novel, home and family, two things the author has spoken of, and holds dear. Cecilia Robert doesn't do too much that is overt to introduce Ana's two ethnic backgrounds into the text - it flows really naturally, and you know that she's a product of a darker father, and a fairer mother - but it makes no difference to anyone important to the story.

I find it interesting that the major question Ana faces is where is home, and who is most important - the Reaper and that world, or the family she thought was truly hers? It's a question we'll surely see answered in sequels...

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You can find REAPER'S NOVICE by Cecilia Robert online, or at an independent bookstore near you!

Random Monday Tidbits

Just tuning in with a few links on a lazy Monday--lazy because we're in Hawaii, at our friends' house on the Big Island, enjoying a much-needed vacation. Sadly, I did bring some work with me, but only a minimum of such, which, for me, is pretty good. The importance of our trips to the Big Island--besides visiting good friends--is getting the chance to slow down our pace for a while. That is not normally my strong suit.

Anyway, I've saved up a few interesting items for your perusal:

•  First, a few writing-related articles from the Writer's Digest newsletter: a rather useful set of tips on how to avoid and fix word repetition (I am extremely guilty of overusing "just" and "really"...) and some thoughts on writing a satisfying ending.
• Recently, we interviewed the authors of the graphic novel Nothing Can Possibly Go Wrong and asked them five questions about the process of writing and crafting. For another inside peek, and a very different set of questions, check out David Elzey's interview with them on Guys Lit Wire.
• Lastly, I got an e-mail announcement regarding the launch of the new Arthur C. Clarke Center for Human Imagination at the University of California, San Diego: "The center will honor the late author and innovator, and will be an interdisciplinary center where researchers in the arts, sciences, medicine and technology will come together to unlock the mysteries of imagination." How cool does that sound? I so wish I could check out some of the launch events, but I suppose I'll have to content myself with planning some sort of future visit next time I'm in SoCal.

Shake, Rattle & Roll: It's Five & Dime Friday

I think I love this ad more than I thought possible. Because Tech Boy is into All Things Tech, including cameras, he was especially interested in lenticular printing for digital photography... but he passed it along to me because it's for kids. Imagine an ad with specific details visible only from your height - directed at you. This is the ONE AND ONLY TIME I'm happy to talk about advertising directed at minors, because that advertising is a toll-free number to get them help if they or a friend feel they need it. Viva empowerment.

Hey, Ally's back @ Hyperbole & 1/2, making us laugh some more about depression!

...Speaking of empowerment: one of the worst things is an adult who talks down to or thinks down to or writes down to a young adult. This week, TIME put together a big slap-down to the teens and young adults in this generation, calling them the ME, ME, ME Generation. The Atlantic posits, "Same song, second verse," and uses more statistics to remind us all that every generation blames the one before. Sing it.

EEEEEEEEEW: Gigantic snails in Houston. I don't think we need say more.

Dear Comic Book Peoples: There IS a way to draw a sexy character w/o being sexist. No, really.

In case you missed it, here's a link to Huffington Post than Maureen Johnson's Tumblr for her Coverflip Project. It's kind of both eye-opening and brow-wrinkle-inducing: it's about gendered covers. Next, I'd be interested to see what different covers books would have if written by people of color - or not. As always, Maureen starts us thinking...

Speaking of ethnicity - and gender - This, That, Neither, Both is a paper I ran across this past week, which was accepted for the peer reviewed paper session at YALSA’s third annual Young Adult Literature Symposium held November 2-4, 2012 in St. Louis. The charming thing about it for me is that Our Very Own A.F.'s novel was used as an example of biracial characters being confronted with an idea of self that remains inconsistent with their own view. Huzzah, and don't miss this really thoughtful and well put-together treatise.

It's all about the books right now - old books, and books into film: the inimitable Lizzie Skurnick will, from her new imprint be reprinting some "forgotten" books from the 50's - 80's - authors like Ernest Gaines, M.E. Kerr, and Lila Perl are going to get a fresh look with new covers and a new audience. I LOVE the new cover for DEBUTANT HILL. It's just -- wow. Skurnick mentioned the enduring quality of "classic" YA lit that was geared toward guys... and that little comment in a news release weeks old now reminded me that it's almost time for the CHOCOLATE WAR REBLOG. Hosted by Kelly from STACKED with Liz from the SLJ Tea Cozy blog and Leila from Bookshelves of Doom, this will be a slightly unsentimental journey through what is considered a piece of classic young adult literature. What makes it classic? Is it? I'll be interested to see what a revisit to the book will bring...

Kirkus says this looks to be THE summer for SFF novels-into-film. Leila mentioned awhile back that Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell was optioned by BBC America, and we all squeaked briefly about that, but Larry Niven's RINGWORLD has been optioned, too. AND! This just in from Book View Cafe: Pierce Brosnan playing Louise Quatorze in a Parallel History Fantasy by Vonda McIntyre's THE MOON AND THE SUN - you know, the one where Louis was trying to become immortal...? I can imagine the costumes will be lush, not to mention the special effects. Here's hoping that this one gets good distribution.

Sure by now you've heard of the 17-year-old coder who figured out a way to remove SPOILERS for her fave TV shows from her Twitter account? Sooo, what did you do this week?? Ah, well - even if you weren't 100% brilliant, witty, and smart the whole week, I'm sure you had your moments, as did we all. It's Friday - enjoy the weekend you've earned.

Toon Thursday: Who Wants Pie?

The latest pie chart: presenting the truth about writing retreats. Please note: pie chart is a work of creative non-fiction. Your experience may vary.