August 2013 - The Y Logs

Yzabel / August 30, 2013

Review: Under a Graveyard Sky

My rating: [rating=2]

Summary:

A family of survivors who fight back against a zombie plague that has brought down civilization.

Zombies are real. And we made them. Are you prepared for the zombie apocalypse? The Smith family is, with the help of a few marines.

When an airborne “zombie” plague is released, bringing civilization to a grinding halt, the Smith family, Steven, Stacey, Sophia and Faith, take to the Atlantic to avoid the chaos. The plan is to find a safe haven from the anarchy of infected humanity. What they discover, instead, is a sea composed of the tears of survivors and a passion for bringing hope.

For it is up to the Smiths and a small band of Marines to somehow create the refuge that survivors seek in a world of darkness and terror. Now with every continent a holocaust and every ship an abattoir, life is lived beneath a graveyard sky.

Review:

(I received an ebook ARC of this novel through NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.)

This is an oddball to review, and I still don’t know what to think of it.

On the one hand, I liked the ideas developed in it. A family already having a plan in case of a zombie apocalypse? Well, why not. They have the right connections to be informed of such things first-hand, and it’s not harder to believe in that than in, say, a family during the early Cold War living in fear of, and preparing for, a potential nuclear war. I found it interesting to see them go from “save ourselves” to “let’s try to save as many people as they can”, with all the problems stemming from organising a whole flotilla: fuel, food, who’s going to give the orders, potential dissenters who could become real trouble… Fortunately, the main characters weren’t stupid, and I appreciated seeing them not giving weapons to just anyone, and remaining just the right shade of paranoid in that regard.

On the other hand, the pacing of the book really puzzled me. I was expecting it to be more about the survival part, but the first half went much more slowly compared to the second one (the one about gathering survivors and organising a new society at sea). Some of the decisions taken by highers up seemed too crazy to be believable (for instance, who they enlisted to help create a vaccine…), and there were moments when things went like a breeze, not giving much sense of urgency. The concert at the end of part one was another mind-boggling element: fun to read on the moment, but not making that much sense in hindsight. And then we switch to part two, without having actually seen the full unfolding of the apocalypse, going from some zombies in the streets to full already-wiped-out civilisation. I guess I’d have liked to see more of that, and earlier in the story. The transition was too abrupt.

Also, the pacing in that second part felt really weird. It was more a slice-of-life (well, slice-of-killing-zombies-spree) kind of story, with lots of switching between the various characters involved, and after a while, this made the book difficult to go on with, in that it lacked smoothness in its transitions. On top of this, Faith above all was a puzzling character. When and where exactly did she get the training that allowed her to kick ass the way she did? How come she didn’t get crazy (there are some bits about that towards the end, but not as well-exploited as they could have been)?

“Under a Graveyard Sky” has a lot of potential, but in the end, it didn’t cut it for me. Too bad, because I wish it had.

Yzabel / August 29, 2013

Review: Earth Power

Earth Power by Adam J. Black

My rating: [rating=2]

Summary:

EARTH POWER introduces an extraordinary team of paranormal investigators. Led by Raphael Drake and Sam Watkins, partners in the London-based Aquarius Agency, the team includes Tarot reader Gemini Quinn, young newspaper reporter Denny Finch, and a three-hundred pound English Mastiff named Doctor Dee.

When insurance salesman Harry Gill dies in a freak accident on a route the newspapers call ‘The Road to Hell’, no one can explain the cause. But Harry’s death is only the latest in a string of unexplained events in the North of England. Crops have been destroyed, cattle are stampeded, and a family is terrorised by a violent poltergeist.

The situation calls for the unique sensory powers of Raphael Drake, and the investigative abilities of his partner, ex-Metropolitan Police detective Sam Watkins.

With bizarre incidents becoming more frequent and increasingly dangerous, the Aquarius team travel north to investigate. Who, or what, is causing escalating levels of death and mayhem in one small part of rural Derbyshire? What is the purpose of the massive concentration of destructive energy focussed on the market town of Castlebridge? And how real is the threat to their own lives suggested by a series of ominous warnings?

Raphael, Sam and their team race to find the answers in time to avert an impending disaster. But mysterious forces are already gathering, determined to stop them.

Review:

(Book provided by the author through ReadIt & Reap 177 in the Shut Up & Read group, in exchange for an honest review.)

This book is based on interesting premises, using the theme of natural energies being gathered for a purpose, as well as people (and/or their deaths) playing a role in it. I liked the diversity of characters, each of them having their own significant traits, including strengths and witnesses and even, for some, potential for complications later on, especially in trems of relationships. I also liked how the author depicted the small town and the countryside where the investigation takes place; it had all the charm of what I imagine to be a typical English town, and even though some might say those things are cliché, they still allowed me to picture the setting very easily. The same kind of detailed description was given to death scenes, making them pretty vivid (as paradoxical as this choice of words may seem!) and pulling me in.

The story itself, alas, proved hard to read in the long run, probably because its pacing felt rather uneven, with disjointed scenes and point-of-view jumping. While Sam and Raphael found their right place as far as roles were concerned, they also seemed to overshadow the other characters in terms of development, which in turn made me feel like said other characters weren’t really needed. I think what bothered me the most, in fact, was how in the end, lots of things were left unexplained, and not only the ones that were clearly kept in store for a next novel (Sam’s family, for instance): I would’ve wanted to read more about the paranormal aspects. Another weird thing was how everything unfolded, leaving the main characters confused as to what happened, and I as a reader wondering what was actually the point of having them investigate at all if it was to have the whole mess solved by a third party.

It’s the kind of book I usually tend to enjoy, and I wished I had liked this story more. I really do. But I prefer to be honest here, even though there were interesting elements in “Earth Power”, and I think those can be appreciated no matter what.

Yzabel / August 18, 2013

Review: The Darkest Minds

The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken

My rating: [rating=3]

Summary:

When Ruby woke up on her tenth birthday, something about her had changed. Something alarming enough to make her parents lock her in the garage and call the police. Something that gets her sent to Thurmond, a brutal government “rehabilitation camp.” She might have survived the mysterious disease that’s killed most of America’s children, but she and the others have emerged with something far worse: frightening abilities they cannot control.

Now sixteen, Ruby is one of the dangerous ones.

When the truth comes out, Ruby barely escapes Thurmond with her life. Now she’s on the run, desperate to find the one safe haven left for kids like her—East River. She joins a group of kids who escaped their own camp. Liam, their brave leader, is falling hard for Ruby. But no matter how much she aches for him, Ruby can’t risk getting close. Not after what happened to her parents.

When they arrive at East River, nothing is as it seems, least of all its mysterious leader. But there are other forces at work, people who will stop at nothing to use Ruby in their fight against the government. Ruby will be faced with a terrible choice, one that may mean giving up her only chance at a life worth living.

Review:

Pleasant enough to read, and raising quite an amount of valid points about the wide black-to-white spectrum of human nature. Well, rather black than white in many cases here. It becomes clear enough, and soon enough, too, that whoever those kids encounter, they should be wary of–even their own kind. And yet, if they can’t even trust their kind, then what’s left to them?

Ruby came off as too whiny a lot of times. However, considering her powers, what happened because of them, and how she basically was ripped off from her life at the age of ten, to be thrown in a place where she didn’t exactly have the opportunity to develop other social skills than “must make myself inconspicuous in order to survive”, I could understand that she’d be wary of herself above anyone else. So it kind of made sense.

I’m not rating this book higher, though, because there were also a few things that bothered me. Among other things, the lack of urgency during the travelling parts. We’re told several times about how the Psi Corps (yes, sorry, black + psi letter = Psi Corps forever in my mind), bounty hunters, the League etc. are a danger and are chasing the kids, but the few encounters they have with such groups didn’t give me the thrills, so to speak; there were a couple of opportunities for something bad to happen, the characters were aware of it, you’d expect said bad thing to happen, and… nothing. It made the travelling part of the book less exciting than it could’ve been. Also, some things didn’t make that much sense (Thurmond and other camps could’ve been put to way darker uses way sooner: it would’ve worked pretty well in such a book), and others were a little too easy to predict. The Slip Kid, for instance: Checkhov’s gun—or, in this case, Chekhov’s portrait.

On the other hand, I liked the twist at the end, as well as Ruby’s decision. It was sad, but I feel that it was the only way out, all things considered, and no matter what, it makes me wonder what will happen next. Which means I’ll likely pick the next book when it’s out.

Yzabel / August 14, 2013

Review: When the World was Flat (and we were in love)

When the World was Flat by Ingrid Jonach

My rating: [rating=2]

Summary:

Looking back, I wonder if I had an inkling that my life was about to go from ordinary to extraordinary.

When sixteen-year-old Lillie Hart meets the gorgeous and mysterious Tom Windsor-Smith for the first time, it’s like fireworks — for her, anyway. Tom looks as if he would be more interested in watching paint dry; as if he is bored by her and by her small Nebraskan town in general.

But as Lillie begins to break down the walls of his seemingly impenetrable exterior, she starts to suspect that he holds the answers to her reoccurring nightmares and to the impossible memories which keep bubbling to the surface of her mind — memories of the two of them, together and in love.

When she at last learns the truth about their connection, Lillie discovers that Tom has been hiding an earth-shattering secret; a secret that is bigger — and much more terrifying and beautiful — than the both of them. She also discovers that once you finally understand that the world is round, there is no way to make it flat again.

An epic and deeply original sci-fi romance, taking inspiration from Albert Einstein’s theories and the world-bending wonder of true love itself.

Review:

(I received an ebook version of this novel through NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.)

This being an ARC, I won’t comment on grammar and editing.

I’ve got very, very mixed feelings on that one. On the one hand, the premise of the story was really intriguing; I like such stories of “previous lives”, especially if they’re tied to something else than supernatural causes (the blurb clearly mentioned sci-fi, which for me is yet another different matter). On the other hand, once I was done reading, I felt somewhat “cheated” out of more detailed developments.

Basically, the first half of the book (until approximately the 45% mark) deals with classic high school/teenager drama, and this was my first problem with it. It was awfully full of stereotypes: the jocks, the Mean Queen Bee, the not-cool-girls lumped together, the mysterious handsome and three times chiseled new student at school, along with a lot of slut shaming of one of Lillie’s friends (including by her own friends and Lillie herself, in a somewhat underhanded way). This was too much, and lasted way too long. I was on the verge of stopping reading when finally things kicked into the sci-fi part. And here’s the second problem for me: how little the sci-fi aspect actually played in, and how wonky it seemed by comparison. I honestly believe it would have deserved more: more exposure, more explanation, more science. This could have been fascinating, as well as able to enforce the tragic aspect of the revelations that ensued. As it was, though, it left room to a few plot holes as to how exactly things came out to be the way they were: the reasons behind the crash, how the Solution was found, or how far the Circle’s power extends. Those felt overlooked, and science used as an excuse, in favour of the high school drama setting.

There are interesting things in this book, things that are also logical. The suffocating small town syndrome, where everything quickly becomes rumour and is blown out of proportion. How things seem to be doomed to entangle and collide. Lillie’s dreams, what they really mean, and why some people were drawn towards making such choices. The sliding and merging. How the three girls begin as distinct personalities, each with their quirks, defects and redeeming points. The ending, too, I liked a lot; it gave closure to the story, while hinting nonetheless at more possibilities (a sequel, perhaps?). But I can’t shake up the feeling that “When the World was Flat…” could’ve been so much more, and that this “more” got swallowed by too-conventional tropes. To be honest, I would’ve given it 3 stars if not for that—and even 4 if it had dealt with the sci-fi aspect in a better way.

Yzabel / August 6, 2013

Review: Water

Water by Terra Harmony

My rating: [rating=1]

Summary:

Elemental powers in the palm of her hand…and it won’t be enough to save her. When Kaitlyn Alder is involuntarily introduced to a life of magic, she becomes part of an organization hell-bent on saving the Earth. Just as her new-found life holds promises of purpose, romance, and friendship, the organization divides and a rogue member holds Kaitlyn hostage. Now one of the most terrifying men the human race has to offer stands between her and Earth’s survival.

Review:

(I got this book from NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.)

I’m honestly not sure what I’m supposed to think of this book. On the one hand, the idea of a group of people gifted with elemental powers, and who use them to protect the Earth, is interesting in itself, when humans in general become more and more aware of environment-related problems. On the other hand… the way this group goes at it is definitely flawed and dysfunctional. And not “dysfunctional, yet still efficient”—rather the contrary, in fact, considering how blind most of them seem to be to the one who’s going to betray them.

Come to think of it, those characters often behaved inconsistently, be it the leader or the heroine, Kaitlyn (who is badass in some ways, but definitely annoying in many others). The love story thrown in almost from the beginning felt placed there because… I’m not sure why, actually. Just like I kept on questioning the Seven’s methods. Abduction? Check. Giving you a choice that isn’t one, because if you choose the wrong pill, you’re not given back to freedom? Check. “Training” that involves attempted rape and other close to torture measures? Check. I’m all for training in harsh circumstances, but this was pushing it too far, leaving me with the feeling that the only interest behind it was to objectify the feminine character. It didn’t empower her in any way, at least not in my eyes.

And then Kaitlyn still forgives that crap, not to mention how the other characters react to it in a “deal with it, it’s no biggie” manner. Uh, guys? Attempted. Rape. Get it? I can read about such themes—they do have their place in literature—only here, the conclusions they lead to are seriously screwed up. As a woman myself, it’d be almost like telling me “if you don’t want to be molested, then you shouldn’t have a vagina.” I wish men in this story had been portrayed as being more human, all that simply.

I don’t know, but I’m not sure I’d like to know the saviours of the Earth are that kind of people. It seems that if you’re a woman, working with them means nothing but trouble, abuse, and getting discarded once you’ve outlived your usefulness. Rather… distateful.

Also, why the two third person point of view shifts, when all the rest was in first person? I could have understood more of them, or going first-person only, or going third-person all the way. But this was just weird, in terms of writing.

Yzabel / August 3, 2013

Review: King Arthur

King Arthur by Daniel Mersey

My rating: [rating=3]

Summary:

Despite his enduring popularity, King Arthur remains the most enigmatic of Britain’s legendary heroes. In this new book, author Dan Mersey retells the great stories of Arthur, while exploring the different facets of Arthurian myth, from the numerous, conflicting theories of his historical origin, through the tales of Welsh folklore and Medieval romance, and concluding with an examination of his various portrayals in the modern media. Presented with both classic and newly commissioned artwork, this book is an easy-to-read, yet highly detailed introduction to the complex body of myth and legend that surrounds Britain’s greatest hero.

Review:

(I received this book from NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.)

One thing I can’t deny “King Arthur” is how well-presented and beautiful the book is. Even though I only had the PDF version, I could see that the paper version must be quite nice to have in one’s hands.

The book offers a summary of the traditional, literary Arthurian corpus, then focuses more on what mught have been actual historical sources. In itself, it’s pretty short, but said corpus is so wide anyway that I think we have to take this book as an introduction and an invitation to check out facts and fiction by ourselves.

If anything, though, I found the first part to be somewhat paradoxical: it would be a good introduction for newcomers to the Arthurian legends, yet at the same time, the author glosses over those a little too fast for a real newcomer to get everything in.

Yzabel / August 1, 2013

Review: Arrow of the Mist

Arrow of the Mist by Christina Mercer

My rating: [rating=3]

Summary:

Terror strikes the Celtic inspired kingdom of Nemetona when barbed roots breach the veil of a forbidden land and poison woodsmen, including 15-year-old Lia’s beloved father. Lia and three others embark on a quest to the forbidden land of Brume to gather ingredients for the cure. But after her elder kinsman is attacked and poisoned, she and her cousin, Wynn, are forced to finish the quest on their own.

Lia relies on her powerful herbal wisdom and the memorized pages of her late grandmother’s Grimoire for guidance through a land of soul-hungry shades, trickster creatures, and uncovered truths about the origin of Brume and her family’s unexpected ties to it. The deeper they trek into the land, the stronger Lia’s untapped gift as a tree mage unfolds. When she discovers the enchanted root’s maker, it forces her to question everything about who she is and what is her destiny. Ultimately she must make a terrible choice: keep fighting to save her father and the people of the lands or join with the power behind the deadly roots to help nature start anew.

Review:

(I got this book through NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.)

“Arrow of the Mist” reads fast, and is brimming with vivid descriptions. Throughout the whole story, I found it easy to picture what was happening, the places the characters went through, and even the plants themselves (I’m really not well-versed in that area at all). The world it is sent in seemed vibrant and vivid, pitching a normal-enough country (Nemetonia) against the mysterious and enchanted Brume, where many creatures dwell, and where magic is far from being extinct.

Lia is a strong character, who knows what she wants, doesn’t hesitate to take matters into her own hands, and uses her knowledge to the best of her ability to help her family and her fellow villagers, even though some of the latter don’t seem to always be too kind with her. Yet her courage goes hand to hand with stubbornness, and her eagerness to save her kinsmen sometimes causes her to make rash decisions. She’s reliable, but not perfect, and as such, connecting with her becomes easy. This is helped, I think, by the fact that she travels with family and friends; the bonds uniting them are here from the start, not forged through random encounters and other wishy-washy reasons.

Paradoxically enough, though, the book’s strong points felt like shortcomings at times. While Lia gains in self-confidence and discovers her powers, the other characters don’t seem to evolve, and as such remained somewhat flat throughout the story. I think we weren’t given enough to see regarding their own personalities and lives before the quest started. The romance bit was awkward, and might have been best kept for the end of the book, with potential development in the next installment; as it is, it looked to me like it fell out of nowhere, then was quickly shoved out of the way. It wasn’t an essential aspect of the plot (Lia had enough people to save back home without adding the hope of seeing her love interest again on top of it), and therefore felt a little misplaced. In the same way, the world was beautifully described, but some parts were barely brushed off (the village’s life, for instance, or why the official rulers dismissed “the old ways”), leaving maybe too much room to forest-wandering that didn’t allow me to get a proper grasp of some potential other stakes in the story.

All in all, I enjoyed reading it. However, if I end up picking the second volume, I hope those questions will be given answers to at some point.