Seven Deadly Wonders

Title: Seven Deadly Wonders by Matthew Reilly
Genre: Fiction, Adventure
Rating: 3/5

According to legend, every 4,500 years a terrible solar event occurs which can bring about the end of the world. However, there is a Golden Capstone for the Great Pyramid created by the Egyptians that averted this catastrophe the last time. Now, a team of soldiers from seven small nations have come together in order to retrieve the missing capstone pieces from their hiding places within the ancient wonders of the world and save the planet.

I nearly gave up on Seven Deadly Wonders when I first started reading it. I found the multitude of diagrams a little insulting, like someone decided the reader couldn't understand the picture Reilly was painting with words so they put actual pictures in. More importantly, the writing didn't feel polished at the beginning. Luckily, as the book progressed, the writing smoothed out.

I really enjoyed all the historical information weaved throughout the book. Things like who'd built the pyramids at Giza and descriptions of the other ancient wonders. Some of it I already knew, some of it I'd forgotten and some of it I'd never learned but it all appealed to the classicist in me, though I realize that not all of it was based on fact.

Characterwise, I found Lily adorable. She was raised as naturally as a child could be by eight soldiers, an archaeologist and his wife. They let her grow into her genius and she loved them for raising her. As for Jack West, the group's leader, he's a little too perfect in some ways. And with his metal arm, he's a little like Indiana Jones meets the six-million dollar man. Luckily the rest of the characters balance him out well.

Overall, I'd recommend Seven Deadly Wonders to anyone looking for a fun and exciting read. It's not perfect but it is good.

Angel and Apostle

Title: Angel and Apostle by Deborah Noyes
Genre: Fiction
Rating: 4/5

Angel and Apostle tells the story of Pearl, Hester's illegitimate daughter in The Scarlet Letter. The book begins by retelling The Scarlet Letter through Pearl's eyes as she copes with the humiliation heaped upon her mother and herself by the Puritans of New England. The second half of the book follows Pearl's life as she travels to England, marries and has a daughter of her own.

Angel and Apostle is a wonderful book. Noyes' writing style is elegant and authentic, echoing Hawthorne's way with words. She doesn't reach for the same descriptive depths that he does, however her plot is a little more involved. Angel and Apostle isn't a straightforward retelling of Hawthorne's romanticized tale, instead it's an imaginative reinventing of The Scarlet Letter. There are several changes, but the most obvious is the replacement of Roger Chillingworth with an attractive, younger physician named Daniel Devlin and his role in the story.

I really enjoyed Noyes' transformation of Pearl. She is not the cruel, uncaring child found in The Scarlet Letter, but an uncultured child who's been left to her own devices too often as a result of being mostly ignored by the villagers, and at times her own mother. She's still spirited and moody, but often regrets the cruel things she says to her parent and those around her. And as the book moves past the events of The Scarlet Letter, she grows and learns to hold her mouth at times and think of how her actions will affect others, though she pays dearly for some of these lessons.

Angel and Apostle kept me intrigued throughout and surprised me with its ending. It's definitely a book that I will recommend to friends.

Thanks to Unbridled Books for the complimentary copy of Angel and Apostle. A positive review was not a requirement and the views expressed above are my own. For more information on Angel and Apostle, check out the Unbridled Books website.

Museum of the Missing

Title: Museum of the Missing: The High Stakes of Art Crime by Simon Houpt
Genre: Non-Fiction, Art History
Rating: 4/5

Interpol currently lists more than twenty-five thousand works of art as stolen. Each is a piece of a culture's history and together they could fill a museum. A museum of missing art. Museum of the Missing covers the rising value of art from the 1950s, art theft during wars and the creation of art recovery squads.

I loved Museum of the Missing. The topic was extremely interesting and I ended up reading every last word, even though the writing style was a little dry at points. I particularly enjoyed the chapter on art theft in times of war and Hitler's desire to open his own museum of stolen art during World War II. That definitely wasn't something we covered in my high school history classes, but it really underlines how much cultural destruction occurs in a time of war.

This book made me want to go back to school and start studying art and art history again. The reproductions of the artwork are incredible; crisp and vivid. Printing in colour was a smart move on the part of the publisher, and worth the extra cost. This is definitely a book for any art lover or history buff.

Shiver

Title: Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater
Genre: Fiction, Fantasy, YA
Rating: 4/5

Grace has been obsessed with the yellow-eyed wolf ever since it saved her from the rest of the pack. Sam has watched Grace from a distance for years, both as the yellow-eyed wolf and as his human self. But when Sam's shot by a hunter, Grace learns the truth about her wolf and they have to fight Sam's very nature in order to be together.

I really enjoyed Shiver, it's a new take on the werewolf theme for me. Instead of changing at will or in relation to the lunar cycle, Sam and his pack change with the seasons, only becoming human in the summer. Moreover, they only have so many years of changing before they become wolves permanently. Sam's struggle to stay human for Grace, despite the dropping temperatures, is entirely believable and wonderfully described. Grace seemed a little too perfect to me at times, unfortunately, but not enough to distract from the story.

The narrative successfully bounces between Grace and Sam's points of view, adding to the story rather than distracting from it. As well, time is portrayed in temperatures rather than in concrete time, emphasising the approaching winter and Sam's next transformation.

I really loved the design for this book. The varying blue shades of the bare trees and the wolf against the white background really make one think of a winter's day. And the red dot of the 'i' in Shiver stands out as a result, as does the red text on the back of the book.

Overall, I'd definitely recommend reading Shiver, and if you like displaying interesting and attractive books on your bookcase, I'd go pick up a copy asap.

Divine Misdemeanors

Title: Divine Misdemeanors by Laurell K. Hamilton
Genre: Fiction, Fantasy, Gothic, Romance
Rating: 2/5

Merry and her men have left the faerie courts and returned to the safety of Los Angeles. But someone is killing the fey in LA and Merry has been called in to help find the killer. And if that wasn't enough, mortals that Merry once healed are going around and performing miracles.

I had high hopes for Divine Misdemeanors after reading Swallowing Darkness last summer. Unfortunately I was disappointed as once again the interesting plotline, the investigation of the fey murders, seemed to be overshadowed by the rather explicit sex scenes. It's a good thing that Merry's essentially a fertility deity otherwise I'd be worried about those babies she's carrying. As for the murder investigation, I found the revelation of fey porn interesting and a great way to emphasize the human obsession with the fey. And I loved the introduction of the Fairy Godmother of LA, who I hope we see more of in the future, and the introduction of more fantastical species. I've found that every other book in the series seems to be sex-driven rather than plot-driven, so hopefully the next book will be reminiscent of the earlier books. Perhaps if Hamilton stopped trying to publish a book a year in each of her series, and instead spent a little more time developing plot and editing, her writing quality would improve again. Overall, I'd say give it a read for the investigation and the plot, but wait for the paperback before buying for your collection.