The Man with the Golden Torc

Title: The Man with the Golden Torc by Simon R. Green
Genre: Fiction, Fantasy, Mystery
Rating: 4/5

The Drood family has been protecting humanity from the things that go bump in the night for centuries upon centuries. Eddie Drood, the family's black sheep, is one of the best until a mission proves to be a deadly trap. Declared rogue, Eddie must team up with the wild witch, Molly Metcalf, in order to find out who's trying to kill him and what horrid secret is at the heart of the family's power.

I really enjoyed The Man with the Golden Torc, though I found Green to be a bit long-winded with descriptions at points. Or maybe it was just that some of the descriptions seemed a little unnecessary. But since it's the first book in the series and he's setting everything up, I suppose I can forgive that. One thing I did love though was the chapter titles. Normally I don't pay much attention to them in books (since they're often quite boring and self-evident) but most of these were witty and fitting. I also liked the variety in the supernatural/science fiction/horror elements: all the elves, demon cars, aliens, robots and serial killers. It doesn't seem like it would work, but it does.

I really enjoyed Eddie as a character, he seemed pretty well-rounded with some faults but generally a good guy who does what he thinks is right. And Molly was fantastic. I thought she was going to be a little too much or too perfect at first but her naivete when it came to some of her friends and associates kept her realistic. And I loved Mr. Stab (aka Jack the Ripper). I always find it interesting to see how authors deal with people or characters that the reader is already familiar with.

I definitely recommend this book to other readers. And I'll be giving the next book in the series a try; it'll be interesting to see how Eddie deals with how things are left off in this book.

Plain Kate

Title: Plain Kate by Erin Bow
Genre: Fiction, Fantasy, YA
Rating: 4/5

Plain Kate lives in a world of magic, witches and curses. A talented woodcarver, Kate has lived alone in the woodcarver's stall since her father's death. But when a sickness comes to her village, the townspeople begin to turn against the gifted orphan and Kate makes a horrifying deal with a gypsy to escape being burnt as a witch.

I loved Plain Kate. It's beautifully written and I was captivated by Kate's story. My favourite books tend to be ones where I'm truly fascinated by the characters, and this book accomplished that, even moving me to tears at one point.

Plain Kate is darker than most other YAs I've read. The way the villagers look for someone to blame and burn when things look bad reflects the Spanish Inquisition and the witch trials of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Also, Linay's plan to take revenge on the town that caused the death of his sister illustrates the desperation of grief. Moreover, the self-mutilation, even to control a ghost, is a little disturbing, though very well done.

I thought Bow's depiction of Taggle was absolutely perfect. A cat-owner myself, it seems completely fitting that a talking cat would be stuck up and pompous, consistently talking about his superiority when not talking about food or being hungry. And I thought his slow transformation to something more than cat was fantastic.

As well, I enjoyed the inclusion of lyrics. They were lovely and poetic and it seemed fitting that spells would be cast in song. It also reminded me of the medieval bards and minstrels of times past, which seems appropriate considering the setting.

I'd recommend Plain Kate to all and sundry. It's a beautiful and emotional story and leads me to expect great things from Erin Bow's future novels.

The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner

Title: The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner by Stephanie Meyer
Genre: Fiction, Fantasy, Paranormal, Novella
Rating: 4/5

From Little, Brown: Fans of The Twilight Saga will be enthralled by this riveting story of Bree Tanner, a character first introduced in Eclipse, and the darker side of the newborn vampire world she inhabits. In another irresistible combination of danger, mystery, and romance, Stephenie Meyer tells the devastating story of Bree and the newborn army as they prepare to close in on Bella Swan and the Cullens, following their encounter to its unforgettable conclusion.

As a fan of the Twilight Saga, I knew I was going to read The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner but after the cracktasticness of Breaking Dawn I wasn't sure what to expect. Luckily, Stephanie Meyer seems to have returned to the more polished writing of her earlier books. It was intriguing to see how a more traditional vampire, one that hunts humans, fits in the Twilight world and to see Bella from the POV of a vampire other than Edward. The Bree of this novella is less animalistic than the one in Eclipse. She befriends another new vampire named Diego, is suspicious of their unnamed creator and avoids confrontation with the other new vampires rather than participating in the in-fighting. I also found it interesting to see how Victoria used superstitions about vampires in order to control her new army. Each morning they returned to the coven before sunrise for fear of its effects.

I really enjoyed The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner and would recommend it to fans and non-fans alike. Bree won me over within pages, and despite knowing what would happen, I found the ending bittersweet and wished it could end another way. Rumour has it that Meyer may be writing other books based on minor characters in the Twilight Saga and I'll definitely read them if she does, particularly if Freaky Fred gets his own book.

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.

The Ruby Knight

Title: The Ruby Knight by David Eddings
Genre: Fiction, Fantasy
Rating: 4/5

Summary from Random House: Ehlanda, Queen of Elenia, has been poisoned. A deep enchantment sustains her life, but it will end soon. Then Sparhawk, Knight of the Queen's Champion, learns where to get to cure for the poison. He and his companions set forth on a dangerous quest to find the antidote before the queen should perish and the peace ends...

Book Two of The Elenium, The Ruby Knight picks up from where The Diamond Throne left off and is very much the middle book of a fantasy trilogy. It's fast-paced and action-filled but the plot doesn't develop too much. Mostly Sparhawk and his entourage travel the continent trying to locate the Bhelliom so that they might heal Queen Ehlana and stop Annias. The big revelation of the book involves Flute, but it's not hard to guess if you've been paying attention. Still, the dialogue is fun and my interest in the characters' well-being kept me reading. I'd definitely recommend The Ruby Knight to any fantasy lover, though I'd suggest reading The Diamond Throne first.

Over the Moon

Title: Over the Moon by Angela Knight, MaryJanice Davidson, Virginia Kantra and Sunny
Genre: Fiction, Paranormal Romance, Short Stories
Rating: 3/5

From the back cover: "Three beloved bestselling superstars and one exciting new voice in paranormal romance come together in an anthology of startling seduction.
"Experience the lure of the moon..."

Over the Moon was a decent book overall, I didn't hate it but I also didn't love it. The first story, "Moon Dance" by Angela Knight was good. I liked her writing style though I found the whole daughter running away from overbearing father to the protection of the strong newcomer a little cliched. "Between the Mountain and the Moon" by Virginia Kantra was also good and I'm pretty sure its a sequel to another short story I've already read. I found the main character a little annoying and oblivious at points but I was rooting for her in the end. I was surprised when I realised that I liked "Driftwood" by MaryJanice Davidson. I've read a book by her before and wasn't quite sold on her style. Frankly I'm still not, but I found her main characters hilarious and endearing and I would definitely read a book that focuses on them. The last story in the book, "Mona Lisa Three" by Sunny, didn't work for me at all. Truthfully, it read like a poor imitation of Laurell K. Hamilton's writing, and it seems to fall more under the "erotica" genre than paranormal romance. I did enjoy some of the secondary characters though. In the end, Over the Moon is a book that I'd suggest borrowing from the library or a friend if you like one of the authors but don't spend your money on it.

Camelot's Honour

Title: Camelot's Honour by Sarah Zettel
Genre: Fiction, Fantasy, Historical, Romance
Rating: 4/5

Though set in the time of King Arthur and the Round Table, Camelot's Honour focuses on a young Welsh midwife and one of the lesser known Knights, with only a brief passage featuring Arthur and Merlin. The midwife, Elen, goes out one night to deal with a difficult birth only to return to find her family slain by a local chieftain who is loyal to Morgaine. Captured by the chieftain, she vows revenge, but it is only through the aid of young Sir Geraint that she may achieve it.

I've read books dealing with King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table before, however, they were all focused on the better known knights and had a very masculine feel to them, so I was understandably worried about reading a book with a female protagonist. Surprisingly I liked the character of Elen from the start. She was very passionate and kind-hearted but when Urien killed her family she quickly showed her backbone and her desire for justice. However I did find her too easily swayed at points.

I also rather enjoyed the addition of faerie to the book. The stories of King Arthur that I've read in the past always involved magic but never of this sort. It brings to mind Spenser's The Faerie Queene and Shakespeare's Oberon and Titania, which are personal favourites. Moreover the glimpses we get of the fae folk help weave the story together from beginning to end. I really enjoyed Camelot's Honour and I'd love to read another in the same series as soon as I figure out her North American publisher.