Poison by Bridget Zinn

Publication Date: 12/03/13
Publisher: Disney Hyperion
Pages: 288
Genre: Fantasy/Fiction/Romance
Target Audience: Teens/Young Adults

Synopsis: Sixteen-year-old Kyra, a highly-skilled potions master, is the only one who knows her kingdom is on the verge of destruction—which means she’s the only one who can save it. Faced with no other choice, Kyra decides to do what she does best: poison the kingdom’s future ruler, who also happens to be her former best friend.

But, for the first time ever, her poisoned dart . . . misses.

Now a fugitive instead of a hero, Kyra is caught in a game of hide-and-seek with the king’s army and her potioner ex-boyfriend, Hal. At least she’s not alone. She’s armed with her vital potions, a too-cute pig, and Fred, the charming adventurer she can’t stop thinking about. Kyra is determined to get herself a second chance (at murder), but will she be able to find and defeat the princess before Hal and the army find her?

My Review: I really loved this enchanting story and I was sad to learn the author has died since she wrote this. It's truly tragic that she will never see her book published and see it loved by so many people, and I'm very sure it will be.  It's impossible not to love this amazing and magical story.

The main thing in the synopsis that caught my attention? The Pig!Any story that has an enchanted, magical and 'too-cute' pig has to be made of win. And Kyra's developing and budding bond with Rosie the piggy made me squeak inside, and as a result I now want a pet pig. A cute cuddly pet pig.

Moving back to the main story; it flowed perfectly. There were twists and turns and I was fully surprised by every single one of them, which is fantastic!

There was quite a bit of flashbacking and where in some books this can get confusing, in Poison the blending of flashbacks to present day was seamless and made complete sense. They weren't suddenly introduced in the middle of nowhere and they helped explain a great deal of the story. Some of them even gave clever hints as to what was to come, but what was amazing about this book was that even though the clues were there, the puzzle pieces didn't click into place until they were supposed to. 
As one of those people who usually tries to guess the ending well ahead of time, i found it an impossible task whilst reading this. I've been outsmarted. dang it.

Character wise, Kyra made a great headstrong, gutsy and inspiring female protagonist, and I was in love with Fred five pages after meeting him (I wish I was kidding, but some male characters just make me long to have the ability to make them real).  Neither of them were what they seemed. Though initially Kyra appeared a ruthless killer and Fred appeared to be your average traveler  I was left amazed by how they both turned out and what they did through the course of the novel, right up until the very satisfying ending.
As for the Princess Ariana, she brought some wonderfully funny moments to the last third or so of the book and if I were to pick that best friend I'd do everything with, then that would be her. Loyalty and friendship the likes of that are portrayed between Kyra and Ariana are far, few and difficult to find.

I would love to hear more of Kyra's story, where things will go for her, for Fred and for Ariana. Sadly that will never be and I feel privileged to have read this book and for the escapism it gave me to such a magical and beautiful fantasy world. This wonderful author was gone far too soon and my best wishes go to her friends and family.  Rest in Peace Bridget and I'm sure you'd like to know your book is made of awesome.

Pantomime by Laura Lam

Publication Date: 5/2/13
Publisher: Strange Chemistry (Angry Robot)
Pages: 392
Genre: Fantasy/Fiction
Target Audience: Teens/Young Adults/Adults

Synopsis: R. H. Ragona’s Circus of Magic is the greatest circus of Ellada. Nestled among the glowing blue Penglass—remnants of a mysterious civilisation long gone—are wonders beyond the wildest imagination. It’s a place where anything seems possible, where if you close your eyes you can believe that the magic and knowledge of the vanished Chimaera is still there. It’s a place where anyone can hide.

Iphigenia Laurus, or Gene, the daughter of a noble family, is uncomfortable in corsets and crinoline, and prefers climbing trees to debutante balls. Micah Grey, a runaway living on the streets, joins the circus as an aerialist’s apprentice and soon becomes the circus’s rising star.

But Gene and Micah have balancing acts of their own to perform, and a secret in their blood that could unlock the mysteries of Ellada.

My Review: The main problem with writing this review will be doing so without spoiling the main secret within Pantomime, but I have to do so because I won't spoil this book for anyone. 

This is so much more than a fantasy and it deals with issues that a lot of people won't even consider in there lives, let alone seriously think on or debate. 

Having said that this book also struck a personal cord with me because I know someone who is pretty alike to Gene in more ways than one and this perhaps led me to think more deeply of the issues in this book than I more normally would have.

Gene and Micah's journey is both harrowing, emotional and truly incredible. The magic of the circus comes to life in all it's beautiful brilliance, making the dark side seem even more shadowy in comparison.

Micah and Gene's story was beautiful told and I have been left longing for another book so I'm hoping to God that there's a sequel. There were so many twists, turns and unexpected events that I was left breathless and I wanted so much to be in that Circus swinging from the trapeze
I've been left with so many questions. But most forward in my mind is this: What is inside those Penglass domes? I really want to know. It's killing me not knowing. Maybe that's the curious child in me :)  

And what will become of Micah and Gene?! Ah why must I be tortured so? Maybe I'm being a bit dramatic. But go read this when it's out. Totally amazing. I am in awe of the author and her writing talent. She hasn't just written a book, she has a created a magical world, fascinating characters and broached subjects in this book that few have dared and she totally nailed it. Brilliant.

Red Flame: Wizards' School by Pamela Shine

Release Date: 13/08/12
Publisher: Upfront Publishing
Pages: 114
Target Audience: Kids
Genre: Fantasy/Adventure


Synopsis: Hi, my name is Resha Valentine, I'm a 17 year old wizard who wants to join the strongest Wizards' School, Red Flame. I meet Aiden and Kat, 17 year old twin wizards just like me. Only it turns out they're in the running for the strongest wizards in Red Flame Wizards' School!

Review: Usually I find writing reviews for books pretty straight forward because essentially the authors are all adults with life experience behind them and years of schooling or at least some knowledge of literary skills and devices. Occasionally however, I need to re-evaluate how I look at a book because the author is different. In this case, the author is only 12 years old.

When I think back to when I was twelve there is no way on this earth I had the urge to read much let alone write something. And if I did write stories, I got bored very quickly, so I have to give Pamela Shine full credit for her determination and staying power to the task at hand. To review her like an adult however, would be unfair.

Red Flame: Wizards’ School is a fun fantasy adventure about a group of wizards who go to the Red Flame School, one of many in the world of Wizland. These wizards are given missions and jobs to go on and in the case of some of the wizards, get to go out and cause a lot of trouble (the child in me grinned wickedly at this) and they also get into fights with other competing schools.

The powers the characters have were different to what I usually expect from a book centred on magic. It is often too easy to make your main character super powerful with an insane complicated power, but Pamela has created abilities for her characters which tend to stem from something simple or basic and become surprisingly powerful when used.

The story itself is fast paced and quickly comes to a conclusion without any messing around or going off on a tangent (something some adult authors are guilty of), whereas it  is the way of the teenager or younger person to get the point. Having said that, as an older reader I think I would have liked a bit more explanation as to background and character history and description of the places the events were set. The ability to do this is something I feel she will develop over time and gain with experience, but if I were to give this to a younger person as it stands now I feel they will love it to bits without the added description. As this book is aimed at 8 to 12-year-olds then I think it would be nice if this book got a bit more publicity as I’m sure children in that age group will love it.

One important point to note while reading this, and as a reader it is one of my big sticking points; I hate grammatical errors and I was expecting some from such a young author, but you know what? There were NONE. None what-so-ever. I’ve been known to mark books as DNF because the grammar mistakes are so bad and this book has absolutely none at all. So I give 10/10 for her brilliant spell checking and grammar skills.

If Pamela writes a sequel I will definitely be reading it as I’m interested to follow her career and to see where she goes from here. I’m sure that with more experience and knowledge she will become a very competent adult author. 

Inheritance by Christopher Paolini

Release Date: 08/11/2011
Publisher: Random House
Pages: 860
Target Audience: Teens/Young Adults/Adults
Genre: Fantasy/Fiction/Adventure


Synopsis:
Not so very long ago, Eragon—Shadeslayer, Dragon Rider—was nothing more than a poor farm boy, and his dragon, Saphira, only a blue stone in the forest. Now the fate of an entire civilization rests on their shoulders.
Long months of training and battle have brought victories and hope, but they have also brought heartbreaking loss. And still, the real battle lies ahead: they must confront Galbatorix. When they do, they will have to be strong enough to defeat him. And if they cannot, no one can. There will be no second chances. 
The Rider and his dragon have come further than anyone dared to hope. But can they topple the evil king and restore justice to Alagaësia? And if so, at what cost?

My Review:

I loved this book though it was with a sad heart that I said goodbye to a much loved series. I first started reading the Inheritance Cycle when it was originally going to be a trilogy and it was well over five years ago I first picked up Eragon while looking for something new to read.

Like the other books in the series, this is not a light read and at 860 pages this is the longest in the series by far and there is a lot of description to read through in-between the events.  I personally think it could have been cut down a little and it wouldn't have suffered, but this is just Paolini's style (a bit like JRR Tolkein's) and it doesn't detract from the reading enjoyment.

All the loose ends are pretty much tied up in this and although I personally found the ending bitter sweet, I have to admit it was an incredible ending. All the favourite characters are back and in my opinion Eragon and Saphira are even better than ever in this instalment, especially considering what they've been through.

There are twists and turns throughout the novel and I was very impressed with the plot and the way it all came together in the end.  Was Galbatorix defeated? I won't spoil that for you, but what I will say is to expect the unexpected.  This is a heart-wrenching adventure with imaginative scope so wide I'm still wondering how Mr Paolini thought of it all. This is easily one of the most epic books of 2011.

The Throne of Fire by Rick Riordan

Target Audience: Kids/Teens/Young Adults
Genre: Historical fiction/Fantasy/Adventure

Those who have read my other Rick Riordan reviews will know I'm a huge fan of his books and I'm now loving this series as much as his Percy Jackson books (though Percy will always own that little piece of my heart).  With the Kane Chronicles, Mr Riordan has brought the ancient Egyptian gods to life in a way no History teacher I've ever known has ever done.  If you'd like to learn a little more here's a synopsis for you:

Following there victory against Set, Sadie and Carter Kane are now recruiting and training other young magicians in the world. But things aren't as peaceful as they might be and now the great serpent Apophis is breaking free of his prison; if he succeeds then he will swallow the sun and plunge the world into darkness. There only chance is to awaken the sun god Ra, but in order to do that they need the Book of Ra and unfortunately the Book of Ra is scattered. With only a few days until Apophis breaks free, will Sadie and Carter be able to save the world?


This book is pretty much a roller-coaster ride of adventure, humour, peril and really amusing Egyptian gods. I have to admit I thought I'd read most things, that is until the legend that is the Dwarf God; Bes. whom I will rave about in a little bit..
I found the adventure and plot in this book to be more involved and exciting then the first in the series, maybe because all the intro stuff was out of the way in the first book. Whatever the reason, the action kicks off from page one during a museum break-in and swiftly progresses with little pause (I was glad about this, I've read way too many books with far too much babble)

What I did notice was the sheer peril in some areas which even I found to be a little scary. For example, there's a part where one of the characters gets a glimpse to Apophis' cage and coupled with the detailed description I felt honestly terrified of that snake escaping, and I'm not even scared of snakes! Coupled with the race to get the pages of the Book of Ra and what you have is an incredibly scary, funny (inappropriate at times, but who cares?) and totally amazing egyptian adventure.

Once again, the story is split between Sadie and Carter and as usual this lends to some differing and interesting story telling. Sadie has many qualities she shares with Carter but is also very different. Carter seems to think a lot more whereas Sadie is a bit more impulsive but both are stubborn at times.  Either way, I loved them both!
Bes, the Dwarf God, was another favourite character of mine. He was funny, helpful, unforgettable and ultimately the most selfless character I've come across in a long time. I really really hope we hear more from Bes in the future (fingers crossed!) despite how the book ended. Actually, just give the guy a series of his own, he is that awesome!

In short, I can't really find any fault. This is as near perfect as an historical fantasy fiction book gets and if your having a particularly bad day; lock yourself in a room and have a good giggle, because it will make you laugh. The plot will suck you in, the characters are unforgettable and the ending is epic.

The Son of Neptune by Rick Riordan

Target Audience: Teens/Young Adults
Genre: Fantasy/Fiction/Adventure

Rick Riordan is a genius. That's probably more fact than opinion and wow does that guy have a talent for writing clever, funny and compelling stories that are aimed at teens, and yet seem to be loved by adults just as much. For those Who haven't read any books by Mr Riordan I'd start at either Percy Jackson and Lightening Thief or The Red Pyramid as these are the first in both his other series of books and are generally a good place to begin.  For those who have read the Percy Jackson series and the first in this one, then read on.

TSoN joins back up with Percy who is being chased by monsters with no memory of why he's there, why he's being chased and wondering why the only thing he knows is that a girl Annabeth is important to him.  Soon he ends up at a place called Camp Jupiter where he meets Frank and Hazel, two very troubled Demigods holding secrets and troubles of their own.
Soon they find themselves on a quest to stop something that was put into motion a long time ago, well past the their usual territory and into lands even the gods have no control over, as the prophecy of the seven slowly unfolds.

I loved this. In fact, I loved this more than The Lost Hero.. I think having Percy back (one of my favourite all time literary heroes) made this book extra incredible especially as that nearly everything Percy does seems to come out humorous in one way or another. If I were to be stuck in the worst moment of my life, I would like Percy with me, he'd probably make me laugh about it :)
Having said that the humour element does not detract from the adventurous storyline with it's peril and terrifying Greek/Roman monsters. True, there are some monsters that will have you laughing (like the cereal monsters and the cupcake/muffin throwing goddess) but others will absolutely terrify the crap out of you. FYI I do not want to run into any Titans any time soon!

The plot develops quickly and I found myself turning the pages very fast to find out how it would end and I was on the edge of my seat reading most of it. If a book can make me spend nearly the whole Sunday reading it without moving, then the author has done a fantastic job. Well done Mr Riordan you made a restless woman stay still for hours on end :)

As usual though, it's the characters that steal the show and I loved Hazel, Frank and Percy though I did find it a little disconcerting jumping from point of view to another, at least at first anyway. What I admire most is that each of them had their 'weaknesses' and yet still  managed to show incredible strength when placed in the most impossible situations and then come out the other side.
None of the heroes in Rick's novels are perfect and I think that's something both kids and adults can resonate with; the idea that we can achieve anything we want no matter what mistakes we've made and however imperfect we are.

As for the ending? Well it's epic and I'm dying for the next book. I don't want to wait :( I want to read it now! *stamps feet like a child* Anyway, full marks! Like I said, the guys a genius!