Jessica Strider

Pros: complex characters, world-building with depth, intrigue

Cons: some of the antagonist's plots worked out surprisingly well

The eldest son of the dying Khai Machi is poisoned and all eyes turn to the succession about to take place in Machi. When Otah Machi, the Khai's sixth son, hiding under the false name Itani Noygu, is told by his courier overseer to gather information there he knows returning to the city of his birth is potentially suicidal. He expects his low status and new identity will hide him.

But he is unaware that the Dai-kvo has sent his old friend and student, Maati to the city, to see if it's Otah who has been trying for the position of Khai.

Abraham's forte is in creating characters of true depth. They're real people, with complex emotions faced with difficult choices. After the way the first book ended, I was hesitant reading this book. It starts 14 years after the events of A Shadow in Summer, and there seemed to be too much distance between what just happened and where the characters are at the start of A Betrayal in Winter. But a few chapters in I was so enthralled with the characters, particularly Otah's sister Idaan, who's quite a feminist for the world in which she lives. But realistically so.

And then there are the intrigues. A few times I felt the plots the antagonist implemented to replace the Khai came off a little too easily, if not perfectly. On the whole, the story is quite complex, and I did like how difficult it was for Maati to discover who was behind the assassination of the eldest son.

The world-building continued to be immersive, with everything feeling real, from the netting around the beds to keep the bugs away, to the night candles and the hand gestures and name suffixes.

This is a book that epitomises the phrase, be careful what you wish for. It's also about how the decisions you make change you - for better or worse.

Pros: intense writing, three dimensional teen protagonists, fascinating video game, minor romance that develops naturally

Cons: told friendships exist where there's no evidence of them in the book, some readers may dislike the switch between the author's use of past tense in the real world and present tense in the game world

For Parents: minor violence (mostly in game), minor swearing (multiple uses of the word sh*t), no sex

There are three rules for playing Erebos. 1. You only get one chance. 2. You must play alone. 3. The content of the game is secret. When Nick Dunmore finally gets his hands on one of the mysterious square packages circulating around his high school he's determined to play - and win - the game. But Erebos is unlike any game he's played before. It knows when he lies about his name. It asks him to do tasks outside the game. Bizarre tasks like photographing a man in a parking garage. When the tasks become dangerous, he wonders if the game, as amazing as it is, is worth the real world risks he's taking.

Judith Pattinson deserves a lot of credit for her translation of this book. It's readable, intense and clever. The author has peppered the book with references to Greek mythology and created a plot that ties together neatly at the end.

The characters are all three dimensional. Nick is a jock at his school, friendly with most people but rude to the ‘freaks' in his class. He starts the novel wanting to know why people around him are changing, becoming secretive, creating friendships with those they never liked before. When he finally starts playing, he himself changes dramatically, dissing his best friend, skipping basketball practice and playing at all hours.

There was a bit of disconnect here where the reader is told that Nick is friends with Colin and others, but it's never shown in the book. Colin is already a player and distanced from Nick when the book begins. But all of the students react in different ways to the presence of the game - some want in, others don't care, and when someone gets kicked out they often cause a scene, trying to find someone willing to break the rules and give them a second chance. Even the teachers react differently to the mass absences, though only two of them are mentioned with any regularity, the English teacher who's convinced the game is dangerous and the basketball coach.

Some readers may dislike the shift between past tense usage to depict actions in the real world vs present tense usage to describe the game world. This reviewer only noticed the change a few times and it never pushed her out of the book as has happened with other novels that tried similar tricks. The present tense creates a sense of immediacy with the game play. It's easy to see why the kids get hooked so quickly and why it's hard for them to tear themselves away from it. It's also easy to see why they're so willing to perform the tasks asked of them by the game - who wouldn't want to play a game that caters to your interests and rewards you in the real world?

The game is set in a medieval world, with orcs, trolls and other familiar and unfamiliar monsters. Players create their characters and then fight monsters as training to help Erebos defeat Ortolan. Levelling up is done in two ways - winning levels from other players in Tournaments and performing a task in the real world. The game world is detailed and highly interactive, with players trying to find wish crystals and join the inner circle (that gets specialized training in order to complete their mission).

This section of the book became so intense this reviewer nearly got reader fatigue, but it stopped and moved to a new focus at just the right time. The novel is well paced that way, switching focus a few times to keep the action moving towards the game, and novel's, climax.

Nick does find romance towards the end of the book. It's fairly low key and develops naturally as the characters react to what's happening.

The ending adds depth to all the events that have been mentioned throughout the book. The characters face real consequences for their decisions along the way and the origins of the game are explained. If you like video games and aren't afraid of reading ‘YA', definitely pick this book up.

Pros: realistic societal tensions in a post-apocalyptic world, compelling quests, strong female protagonist

Cons: don't learn as much about the partials as you'd like, the protagonists get out of several tough situations with surprising ease

For Parents: no sex, no swearing, lots of violence, but nothing too graphic (shooting/death, off stage torture)

It's been 11 years since the genetically engineered partials rose up against their human creators, unleashing a virus that decimated the human population. Now, the remaining survivors live on Long Island, most in the community of East Meadow, which, due to its Hope Act of forcing all women 18 and over to give birth as often as possible, has created a resistance movement called the Voice. Into this turmoil comes a brilliant young hospital intern, Kira. She wants to study the one thus far unstudied aspect of the plague that still kills all human children born. Partials.

Partials is quite an adrenaline rush. There's a lot of action and several quests, starting, but not ending, with Kira's quest to find and capture a partial. While I wasn't always convinced that their plans would work as well as they did, enough things went wrong that I was willing to overlook how often enough went right.

Kira herself was an interesting character. She's borderline irritating, in that she's stubborn and ‘knows' the best course of action, despite only being 16 and a ‘plague baby' (ie, someone born just before the end of the modern world and too young to know what happened with the partials from personal experience). What redeems her is her reliance on her friends and her willingness to accept a change of plans when necessary.

What really sets this book apart is in its realistic depiction of society. There's a wide spectrum of viewpoints, each valid given the circumstances. East Meadows slowly becomes more and more of a dictatorship, as the Voice attacks escalate and the senate institutes more laws to keep the citizens ‘safe', or, as Kira starts to believe, ‘controlled'. Even the principle characters argue over the right and wrong of the senate's decrees. Particularly the debated decision of lowering the Hope Act to include those 16 and up (which would affect them directly). The disconnect between the older generation and the ‘plague babies', shown by the adults' disdain, was also well written.

My only complaint was that you don't learn as much about the partials as you'd like. This book is set up for a sequel, so I'm hoping the partials - and ParaGen, the company that created them - will have more of a part to play.

I'll be waiting eagerly for the next book in this series.

Pros: very unique dystopian situation, very good opening, terrifying potential fate for Lark, end reveal of Lark's abilities was interesting

Cons: protagonist is conflicted, middle dragged, it became tiresome watching Lark get saved over and over again

For Parents: one swear word, some violence (killing), no sex

At sixteen Lark is older than the other kids at school, but she won't become a full adult until she's harvested for her magic and assigned her place. Magic runs the city and keeps up the wall that protects them from the ravaged outside world. When she's finally called, she's apprehensive about the procedure no one talks about and curious why they waited so long to harvest her.

An unescorted jaunt around the famicility shows her someone's horrific fate, a fate she soon realizes she might share. She's able to regenerate her magic, a lost skill and valuable - for harvesting. Fleeing for her life and her sanity, she breaches the wall and discovers how bad things outside really have become. She knows she will be hunted. She also knows there are other people outside the wall who are like her.

Kudos to Spooner for creating a dystopian setting that was substantially different from the rest. It has touches of steampunk and a truly terrifying fate for Lark should she remain in the city. After Lark leaves the city however, the setting becomes commonplace, post-apocalyptic (even if the apocalypse was caused by magic).

While I liked Lark, she waffled between competent and needing to be saved too often. I understand that she didn't know how to survive in the wild, and I was ok with Oren helping her, but having him leave and come back to rescue her over and over again became tiresome. This repetition made the middle section feel too long and drawn out. She also waffled between altruism and necessity when it came to violence and dealing with those she met outside the wall.

The ending picked up the pace again and returned to the high tension, and high stakes, of the opening. While I wasn't keen on Lark's choices at the end of the book, it was an exciting ending.

A good book for those who want a different dystopian setting.

Pros: lots of intrigue, complex characters, fantastic world building

Cons: characters make disappointing choices

Otah Machi, sixth son of the Khai Machi, gives up his chance to become a poet and leaves the training school he was sent to without a brand, in order to make his own way in life. Years later, one of Otah's pupils, Maati, comes to Saraykeht to apprentice with its poet. Poets keep Andat, spirits made flesh who perform particular tasks. Saraykeht's Andat, Seedless, helps with the cotton trade. The Andat does not wish to be a slave and has plotted to bring his poet down.

Otah has built a new life for himself in Saraykeht, with a powerful trading house and a woman he loves. But everything changes when the overseer of the house finds out about Seedless's plot.

This is a very complex book. There are plots within plots and it's hard to know what will happen next. I loved all of the characters. Each one felt like a real person, with problems and strengths. In fact, when Maati makes a decision that would normally have angered me, in this book, it worked. I felt sorry for the characters involved and understood their complicated emotions when things went wrong.

The world also felt real. Abraham created a complex vocabulary of hand gestures meant to explain one person's rank in relation to another's, to ask questions, to give thanks. There's a flourishing bath culture for escaping the heat of the day as well as for doing business and learning gossip. The court ceremony and trade bureaucracy are intricate and time intensive. Though the greater politics between nations is only touched on in this volume, I expect it to show up more in later books.

Seeing the characters as real people made the ending difficult as I didn't like some of the choices they ultimately made. The good thing about having a two in one volume is that it's natural to keep reading, where I might otherwise have stopped, having enjoyed the book but not being sure I want to learn what happens next (as I suspect it will be bad).

Pros: interesting setting, brilliant assassin school/convent idea, characters all have realistic motivations (including the antagonists)

Cons: I didn't understand why Ismae was chosen for the mission

Ismae is 17 years old and about to be married off to a man who is likely as boorish and abusive as her father, when she's spirited away to a convent. There she learns that being the daughter of Death is not a curse but a blessing and is trained in the ways of assassins.

But she skips out on her lessons on courtliness and seduction, lessons that would have helped with her third assignment, at the court of Brittany's besieged twelve year old Duchess. A Duchess whose hand in marriage was promised to a boorish, brutal man. This is a marriage alliance that her older half-brother, Duval, the man Ismae is to accompany to court, and whom she must watch for signs of treason, intends to prevent.

As she tries to see through the various plots at court, Ismae discovers she has feelings for Duval. But Death's Handmaidens are not trained for love.

Late Medieval Brittany is a fantastic setting, with all the political intrigue at the Duchess's court as well as the threat of attack from the French. There's even the threat of attack from her suitor should she break the betrothal agreement her father made with him. The countryside is suitably rustic and court extravagant.

The convent to the old God of Death, Mortain, now called a Saint after the Christianization of the land, and its training of assassins who work for His cause, was brilliant. It feels more like a boarding school setting, with the girls learning the different arts they will need. The only off note here was the inclusion of Eastern style martial arts, which would have been unknown in those parts at that time. But as it's historical fantasy, one cannot fault the author for wanting to include throwing stars (or rondelles as they're called in the book) and the like in the arsenals of the girls.

The motivations for each characters actions is realistic, even those of the bad guys. Indeed, the book shows court life in all its complexity, with few being trustworthy and everyone working towards their own aims - even when those aims are in direct opposition to those of their sovereign. It also shows the power and lack thereof of women. Though Duchess, due to her age and sex Anne's voice isn't held in high esteem. And her council members try to make the best decisions for Brittany, even though they may not be the best decisions for Anne herself.

My only real complaint with the book was that Ismae shouldn't have been sent on this mission. She didn't have the understanding of court life required nor was she sufficiently adept at hiding her identity or mission. I was surprised that no back story was created to explain her meeting Duval, and she was constantly jumping to conclusions, or assuming that events could only point to one answer, while I often saw other options that she missed or only considered in passing. This pushed me out of the story on many occasions, when I wondered why the convent would send her, as a novice, when they must have had more experienced women they could have sent who would have done a much better job. She was also accepted at court more readily than I believed possible (given her peasant upbringing and her lack of comfort with court/city life) and allowed to wander everywhere, something I doubt a real court would have allowed of a high ranking officer's mistress (which was her cover story, and an odd cover story for a woman who is trying to hobnob with ladies-in-waiting). Ismae was surprisingly bad at talking to servants, which given that she was looking for gossip, seemed a serious failing. She also tuned out the gossip of the Duchess's ladies on those few occasions when she met with them. I was surprised that their gossip was always passed off as being frivolous, when in reality there would have been some political undertones to their conversation.

The book ended well - indeed Ismae came into her own for the last hundred pages and I liked her a lot more for it.

If you can overlook Ismae's unsuitableness for the mission, it's an interesting read.

Pros: well drawn characters, interesting world, some great twists, thought provoking

Cons: despite his job, Erin's father seems clueless regarding her intelligence and snooping

For Parents: no swearing, no sexual content, little violence (a few people get punched / hit with items, but nothing graphic)

Logan's been paranoid since his older sister died during her Pledging. His thirteenth birthday, and the day of his own Pledging, is only a few months away and he's terrified of the same thing happening to him. But Pledging means getting his Mark. And only the Marked can hold jobs and buy things. Then he discovers that his paranoia is justified, and his entire life changes.

Erin doesn't want to leave Beacon for Spokie. But her dad's been transferred there for his job doing ‘government work', whatever that means. Her decision to snoop into her father's private papers opens her eyes to his purpose in Spokie; to stop a man kidnapping local children before they can take the Pledge. She decides that the sooner this man is caught, the sooner she can return home.

The two kids team up to keep Logan from being the next to disappear.

Swipe tells of a future where global war has caused such problems that large parts of the US, Canada and Mexico - now called the American Union - are uninhabitable. There are no religions. The AU and the European Union are close to creating a Global Union. Part of this new union required the Marking of all AU citizens. Indeed, the only way to be a citizen and benefit from its privileges requires getting the Mark. Those who choose not to get the mark are either servants, have someone with a Mark to support them or live in slums.

The world has some interesting new technologies to replace the more wasteful items of today. Few people use paper anymore, tablets being mainstream. Similarly, since air travel is now so expensive and cars the luxury of the super rich, people cross the country (if they need to) by magnetrain and get around cities by electrobuses and rollersticks (a device the size of a skateboard with a handle that works like a segway).

Logan is a great character. He's introduced as the boy who cried wolf, being convinced for years that someone's watching him. He's neither popular nor friendless. He's a pushover until he finds a reason to fight back.

Erin on the other hand is very brave and bold, coming up with new plans for how to catch the kidnappers. Not always good plans, mind you, she's only 13, but she is quite clever.

The book has some great twists, heading in directions I didn't expect. I especially liked that there were no easy answers for the protagonists. They make mistakes and at the end they each make decisions that work for them - and their view of events. The book is fast paced and a quick read.

My only complaint was with how long it took Erin's dad to figure out what she was up to. He seemed surprisingly clueless as to her keen intelligence.

A great book for adults, teens and maybe even younger kids - with some interesting discussion possibilities.

Pros: lots of intrigue, very interesting characters, great plot and pacing, limited use of magic

Cons: 

Down on his luck Maliverny Catlyn is very surprised to be offered a commission as bodyguard to the skrayling ambassador.  Like most Christians, he has heard that the skraylings are demons from the New World, and magic users.  But he needs the money to keep his insane twin brother in decent accommodations at Bethlem hospital.

Meanwhile, a troupe of actors, Suffolk's Men, are building a new theatre in which to perform a play for the ambassador, something not everyone in London is thrilled about.

With a lot of political intrigue, spies and plots, The Alchemist of Souls has something for everyone.  There's even a touch of romance (both gay and straight).  The book's opening reminded me very much of Swordspoint by Ellen Kushner, due to the setting and the mismatched friendship between Mal (nigh on penniless but son of a gentleman) and Ned (clerk and sometimes swindler).  The book quickly diverged from this pair and broadened in scope, adding more actors and political players, for which I was grateful as the relationship in Swordspoint annoyed me (I couldn't understand what St. Vier saw in his lover, as all he seemed to do was act sullenly and get St. Vier into fights to defend him).

Indeed, at times the number of offers to betray the ambassador Mal received - and the cross dressing Coby - put me in mind of Lev Rosen's All Men of Genius, though The Alchemist of Souls is by no means a comedy.  It does have a playfulness and I had to remind myself that treason had serious consequences, and that Mal's life was endangered each time he received such an offer.

The characters are fascinating, from Mal who must learn quickly how to maneuver as a spy to Coby's attempts to not let her sex be known and Ned's run in with ruffians.

The book is very accurate with regards to Elizabethan times, though it is definitely alternate history (Queen Elizabeth marries Robert Dudley and has two sons, and the skraylings are an imagined race).  Lyle uses archaic words sparingly to give a sense of place and time to help immerse you in the world she's recreated.

Magic is used very sparingly and really comes into play only at the end of the book.  Given the beliefs at the time I was impressed that some of the skrayling ‘magic' was passed off as advanced learning in medicine and technology.  The limited use of real magic helped keep the world real, despite the skrayling race.

The skraylings themselves were well defined, with their own beliefs on the afterlife, way of dress, traditions, language, etc.  They really feel like a different species.

The cover makes it look like a book with either assassins (there are some, but not your traditional fantasy variety) or swashbuckling action (there's some of this, but not much).  If you're looking for a lot of fight scenes, look elsewhere.  If you like good fantasy or historical fantasy, pick this book up!

Pros: brilliantly intricate plot, fantastic finish, compelling, interesting characters

Cons: some disturbing imagery, some gross imagery, complicated plot was sometimes hard to follow

David Neff hasn't written since his wife's suicide 4 years ago, on the day they were to bring their new baby home from the hospital. So when his agent suggests he try his hand at solving the murder of the Man from Primrose Lane, he baulks. But his naturally obsessive nature takes over and he soon discovers that the case is connected to that of his wife, whose twin sister was kidnapped in front of her eyes when they were ten.

The first 231 pages of this novel are straight up crime fiction. The author, James Renner, has written two true crime books, and so knows what's required to investigate the kinds of cases David Neff faces. This section of the novel tells about David's present and two parts of his past: his meeting and marriage to Elizabeth and the murder case he solves (and subsequently writes a book about). This case, something he obsesses over for many years, requires crime scene descriptions of rape and murder victims, most of whom are children. The imagery, while not gratuitous, caused this reviewer some unease, as did some of the gross descriptions found in the book. While hearing that someone vomits is fine, knowing WHAT they've vomited up... isn't something this reviewer was prepared to learn. One scene in particular caused this reviewer some concern for the contents of her own stomach.

The last third of the novel is pure science fiction. The SF is fundamental to the story and complicates the already complicated plot. In many ways this segment of the book reminded me of the movie Primer. It would have been incredibly helpful to have a flowchart of what happened to whom and when. Even before this segment, keeping characters straight was a bit of a challenge. And unlike most books, where you can flip back through the linear narrative to refresh your memory, trying to find earlier passages - with the way the book jumps through time - was tough.

The mystery was very compelling and David's character fascinating. And once I learned the twist I couldn't put the book down. There were a few things that appeared to be plot holes but the author meticulously dealt with each one before finishing the book. Indeed, the ending was absolutely brilliant.

The Man from Primrose Lane is not for the faint of heart but is ultimately rewarding for those who finish the book.

Pros: designed to be read by anyone (not just scholars), wide variety of examples, good introduction

Cons: little commentary on the different poems/examples, no conclusion, no easy way to see the original poems he translates

Nicholas Orme has put together a short book of poetry that would have been told to or written/spoken by children in the Middle Ages. He's done so using full English translations so the book is accessible to those without a background in the field or a knowledge of Latin or middle English. The downside to this is that if you do know the languages there's no checking his translations to see what (if any) liberties he's taken to get the meaning across or to force the rhythm and rhymes of the poems. He did keep some old words, to help with the rhymes and maintain flavour, and here he helpfully added translations/modernisations at the bottom of the page.

The book covers a wide variety of poems, from games to manners, stories, and grammar school exercises. This allows for a nice window into the lives of children, at work and at play, increasing our knowledge of how people lived. It shows that children were not thought of as ‘little adults', that they were allowed to play and were catered to in many ways, according to their age and abilities.

I would have liked more commentary on the individual pieces and a conclusion showing some of the things these poems show us about how children were treated in the middle ages. But again, Orme wanted this book to be less scholarly and more easily accessible and so kept commentary to a minimum.

An interesting glimpse of an aspect of the middle ages that is not well understood.

Pros: good pacing, tense moments, intricate plot, hot romance

Cons: limited worldbuilding, stereotypical characters

Vynessa Somerton grew up in N-District, a privileged member of society, who fell from grace for selling illegal glamor. Now she lives in S-District and struggles to survive. When the government starts vanishing other highly skilled programmers, she discovers she has a protector, an incredibly handsome man, who wants her to save his brother, who vanished and was replaced 7 years earlier, in return for saving her life.

As a novella Synthetic Dreams is necessarily fast paced. Once the action starts, it doesn't let up. The romance is also fast, but doesn't feel forced, getting hot at times and maintaining a nice simmer throughout the action.

The plot is intricate, with a series of revelations at the end you won't predict. It's necessarily linear, with no deviations. Even the romance serves to heighten the action rather than as a plot device itself.

While there are no info dumps, there is some stilted conversation as important information that the characters should already know is dealt to readers. It's mostly unobtrusive, as the author does a good job of keeping these to one lines at a time. The worldbuilding is unfortunately limited and makes the ending a little confusing, as the nature of the Halls and Tiers of the Mind are never fully explained. Still, it's surprising how vividly Knox paints her world, given the limited description.

The characters don't have time to develop from stereotypes into three dimensional characters. Vynessa has physical scars and low self-esteem when it comes to her attractiveness. And while she's good with tech, she quickly realizes she needs Paul's help to survive what's coming for her. Paul, meanwhile, is tall, dark and handsome with a perfect physique and the need to rescue his lady in distress.

Negatives aside, given the length of the story you don't really notice the problems until after you're done. Though the ending could have been slowed a bit so as to explain a few things more thoroughly, it was a quick, intelligent read.

• Please note that I listened to the audiobook and my review reflects that*
  
  Pros: fantastic narration with individual voices, good pacing, lots of action and intrigue, highly visual
  
  Cons: characters keep fighting despite serious injuries
  
  Waxillium Ladrian has been called back to the metropolis of Elendel from the Roughs to take over his deceased uncle's business. No longer accustomed to life in the city, after spending so much time as a law keeper in the Roughs, Waxillium tries to subvert his natural tendencies in order to be a good lord. But those intentions fall away when the latest in a spree of robberies and kidnappings hit too close to home. Joined by his former partner Wayne and a clever young woman studying law at the university, Wax is determined to solve this case.
  
  Sanderson has created a fantastic world. The Alloy of Law takes place some 300 years after his Mistborn trilogy, but you don't need to read that in order to enjoy this novel. A cross between fantasy and western - with a little steampunk thrown in - it's helped usher in a new subgenre of fantasy (others that do the same thing would be Gemma Files's A Book of Tongues, Christine Cody's Bloodlands and Mike Resnick's Buntline Special). The mythology is touched on briefly, but the real treat here is the ‘magic' of Allomancy and Feruchemy, both ways to manipulate metals. Wax is a twinborn, meaning he can do both forms of magic - using his metal minds he can manipulate his weight and as a coinshot he's able to push on steel. These abilities, combined with a steady hand and sharp wits make him a formidable lawman.
  
  Wayne acts as necessary comedic relief from Wax's melancholy and seriousness. Wayne's abilities are to create a speed bubble in which time flows faster for him (allowing him to dodge bullets and have private conversations in a room full of people) and the ability to heal himself quickly, provided he has health built up (done by being sick for an equivalent amount of time in advance).
  
  The audiobook narrator, Michael Kramer, does an amazing job. Not only is the narration crisp and clear - properly enunciated and easy to follow - but he does voices too! Each character, when speaking has their own individualized voice. And Wayne, who uses disguises throughout the book, is voiced with various accents. It's absolutely remarkable and made listening to the book such a pleasure.
  
  The book is well paced, with downtime and action all culminating in a great showdown. And so much of the story is easy to visualize. When Wax flies through the mist in his billowing mistcoat, guns blazing... This book would make a fantastic film.
  
  The only real ‘complaint' I had, was that Wax managed to keep fighting even when subject to multiple injuries. Given that he has no healing abilities (unlike Wayne) it seemed a bit far fetched that getting shot wouldn't faze him beyond a little bit of pain. But that didn't detract from my enjoyment of the book at all.
  
  If you want a different kind of fantasy, like westerns or just good storytelling, pick this one up. It's the first in a series but wraps up nicely so if you don't feel like continuing you don't have to. Though, the fantastic writing and fun characters will probably have you waiting impatiently for book two.

Pros: all recipes are gluten free, quick glance reference for preparation times and meat inclusion, book includes recipes for normally store bought sauces/dressings

Cons: many recipes require advanced preparations (like homemade sauces, whey, etc.) in order to make them

The book has comprehensive sections on what makes food ‘naked' and what tools/techniques you need to have a ‘naked kitchen' (like sprouting and culturing foods).

The authors break the recipes up into three groups based on the time they take to make (in a rush, everyday and impress the neighbours), though even the faster recipes require some advanced planning with regards to ingredients that need preparation to make them naked. These ingredients are mentioned in the headlines, so they're easy to spot and if you're planning your meals ahead of time, they're easy to incorporate. However, if you're like me and tend to plan dinner on the fly, you'll encounter some problems using this book. The authors also mention if the recipes are vegan, vegetarian, pescatarian or omnivore in the headlines.

There's a broad mix of recipes from sauces and pre-made soup stocks to breakfasts, sides and entrees. With 168 recipes, there are a lot of great foods to try. Of the 12 recipes I tried (including making whey and the Kitchen Scrap Veggie Stock), there was only one recipe I wouldn't do again (the Vegan Hollandaise sauce, which was too lemony for my taste, though the Portabello Eggs Benedict, upon which I ate it, I will definitely make again). In a few cases I would substitute ingredients in the future (like using almonds rather than cashews in the Orange Creamsicle Smoothie and taking out the kale in the Sweet Potato Breakfast Hash). All of which are a matter of personal taste. Other recipes were perfect as presented and I highly recommend both the Roasted Herb Red Potatoes (which tasted fantastic both times I made them) and the super easy and surprisingly flavourful Sauteed Chicken with Lemon and Herbs.

If you're trying to eat healthier and go for more natural foods in your diet, this is a great cookbook.

Pros: interesting characters, get to see the outside world and learn some of the world's history

Cons: powerful creatures are defeated with surprising ease (which may be realistic but it's also a bit disappointing)

The City of Hope and Despair is a novel about two quests. The first involves Tom's first time outside Thaiburley as he, the assassin Dewar, Kohn, a sightless giant and the Thaistess, Mildra, journey to find the source of the goddess Thaiss's river. A demon doesn't want them to succeed and has alerted another assassin to stop them.

Back in the city, Kat and her sister postpone their fight to the death in order to hunt down the returned Soul Thief, the monster that killed their mother.

It's nice to see Tom grow up a bit and realize that street smarts won't cut it in the real world where dangers are many and varied. It's also fun to see him falling for the unobtainable priestess. Seeing more of the world Whates has created as well as learning why Thaiburley has isolated itself was great after the very contained (in terms of worldbuilding) City of Dreams and Nightmare. The Prime Master has more of a role in this book, and as he's a character much like the Patrician in Terry Pratchett's Discworld novels, that was a welcome addition.

Both quests encounter a number of difficulties, which keeps the book moving at a fast pace. It was surprising how quickly the protagonists managed to overcome some of the obstacles in their path, and while they faced tragedy, their triumphs seemed easier won than expected given the power of their enemies.

The book ends on a double cliffhanger, with both quests leading to something new, to be picked up in the final volume of the series. And given the quality of writing in the first two books, that's a book worth picking up.

Pros: very interesting characters, good pacing, fair amount of suspense and action, compelling

Cons: story jumps between heads a lot, actions seem sped up at times

For Parents: some violence and deaths, no language or sexual content

The school bus 14 year old twins James and Samantha Blake are on is bombed, while returning from a field trip. The survivors are taken to Brent Valley General Hospital where strange things start happening. The twins discover they have somehow developed super powers and that someone is after them.

Despite the media blackout surrounding the hospital, Jasmin Sharma of 24/7 Interactive News is going for a big story and she doesn't care what laws she has to break or who she has to cozy up to in order to get it.

The twins are interesting protagonists, and Mr. Henning does a good job of showing their good and bad sides (how Sam is bullied but won't fight back, how James is popular but feels like he should do more to protect his less popular sister). Even more interesting - mostly due to her duplitious nature - is Jasmin. She's beautiful, intelligent and ruthless. Minor characters are also fairly well fleshed out, giving the story nice depth.

In many ways this reminded me of the X-Men storyline that introduced Kitty Pride (the Dark Phoenix Saga). The kids doubt their sanity when odd things happen and only slowly realize that they now have special abilities.

The pacing is good, with time for the characters to question what's going on in the hospital and for action packed scenes, making the book hard to put down. The climax itself is pulse pounding if a bit over the top.

While jumping between heads to know what everyone is thinking was common in the past, most writing advice guides now recommend page breaks if you're going to change heads, in order to maintain clarity. I had no problem following the jumps but other readers may find the technique confusing.

There were a few scenes where the action seemed sped up. For example there's a scene where Sam is trying to put out a fire. The implication is that she's trying hard to do this for several minutes, and yet she manages to successfully put it out in the same sentence that explains how hard this is for her.

In the end it was a quick, fun read. And while the book ties up one plot arc, there is definitely more to the story.

Pros: lots of psionic action, complex post-apocalyptic world, political intrigue

Cons: little character development, repetition

Roughly 250 years after the nuclear war that destroyed the world, humanity is still picking up the pieces. DNA clean humans run the World Court, governments and businesses, while unregistered humans struggle to survive. Out of the radiation fallout rose a new race, those with psionic abilities. Those the government controls with an implanted kill switch are called the Strykers Syndicate. They fight against unregistered psions and a well organized group called the Warhounds.

Nathan Serca is head of the Serca Syndicate and unknown to the World Court only one of two triad psions. The other triad is his eldest, now renegade, son, Lucas. For two years his other children have been unsuccessful in tracking and killing Lucas. Nathan's patience is running out as important plans come to fruition.

Meanwhile Lucas is amassing a team of psions to help him with his own plans.

The action is plentiful and varied, showing the various powers off. While relegated to a handful of powers (telepaths, telekinetics, teleporters, empaths, pyrokinetics, psychometrists, precognitives and elctrokinetics), the characters use their powers in creative ways. The limit on their powers (the more they use them, the sooner they die) was a nice touch.

Action scenes are offset by political intrigue between several groups of players, all of whom think they know everything that's going on, none of whom actually do.

The world is realistically complex and detailed: from the towers and bunkers where rich humans live to the slums of the poor and uninhabitable deadzones. The characters are a mix of colours and nationalities, denoting the chaos and integration after the Border Wars.

Give the number of characters it's impressive that there was never any confusion as to who the reader is following at any given time. Having said that, there's little opportunity to get to know characters, so the reader is constantly told things about each character with no opportunity to see the truth of these statements in their actions. The book takes place over a short period of time, making character development a moot point.

As with James Knapp's Revivors trilogy, you have to pay close attention to what's going on. Ruiz repeats several important points which, given your frame of mind, are either helpful or irritating over time. Similarly, if you liked the action and spunk of Those Who Walk in Darkness by John Ridley, you'll love Mind Storm.

This is the first book of the series and is ultimately merely set-up for what comes next. But what a set-up!

Like X-Men, only more brutal.

Pros: lots of action, character development, dry humour, satisfying series conclusion

Cons: Konowa recovers from serious injuries remarkably fast, there is little downtime in the middle third of the book causing reader exhaustion, Konowa and Visyna's romance isn't very convincing

A second star has returned but not without cost. As a poisoned metallic snow begins to fall in the desert, heralding more of the Shadow Monarch's nightmares, the Iron Elves must decide their route. With Yimt's company missing, including Visyna and Konowa's parents, the Iron Elves head for the coast by way of Suhundam's Hill, last outpost of the original Iron Elves. There they face new dangers that make wiping out the Shadow Monarch more important than ever.

This book introduces new monsters again, including evolved sarka har, a once more transformed Emissary and the Shadow Monarch herself. It also explains the fate of the original Iron Elves Konowa is so eager to find.

There is a lot of character development, both with established characters and newly introduced soldiers. Often fantasy books dealing with the military or feudal hierarchies will constrain themselves to a small group of people, eventually causing a gap in characters as previous ones die or retire. So it was nice to see Evans bring forth a new batch of soldiers in this book and continue promoting them within the military ranks. It gave the series a realistic feel that the world continues, even as characters move on.

The action is fast and furious, with occasional downtime when the characters laugh and learn, though there was a section in the middle where it seemed everyone should have been collapsing from exhaustion. Konowa himself managed to recover remarkably fast from several serious accidents throughout the book. Readers may find themselves requiring a short break from the relentless action.

The romance between Konowa and Visyna seemed a little forced. Though it was hinted at through all three books there was little time for the characters to really get to know each other after the first book. It was nice seeing Visyna come to understand Konowa better in this installment, but there was no scene where she conveyed her new understanding to him.

The series came to a highly satisfying conclusion. If you like elves but want something different, give this series a try.

Pros: quick, intense read; sympathetic protagonist who shows development; powerful, thought-provoking climax

Cons: very abrupt ending

For Parents: 1 swear word, some kissing, minor violence

Kayla and her family have moved back to the small island in the Canadian Maritimes where she grew up, after spending 5 years in Toronto. Her decision to become less stand offish comes at the wrong time as an unknown virus begins to spread around town. Her microbiologist father and the other doctors are at a loss as to how to stop the growing epidemic.

Written as journal entries by 16 year old Kayla to her former best friend Leo, off the island studying, the book chronicles the viral epidemic from the confusion surrounding the first few cases to an intimate knowledge of loss and despair. As time passes and the virus is no closer to being cured, a gang causes increasing problems and the death toll mounts.

Short entries make for a quick read. The protagonist is a sympathetic young woman who always feels out of place among others, constantly aware of how they treat her. As the book progresses she learns more about herself and others, as the town deals with the problems that arise.

The climax is especially thought provoking and intensely powerful. Which makes the ending that much more abrupt. There's little denouement and no wrap up at all.

Still, it's a great journey and a very well written YA book otherwise.

Pros: brilliant writing, sympathetic protagonist, open to sequels, very fast read, hard to put down

Cons: some plot twists depended on remarkably good luck/coincidence, ending implies Juliette made a choice she didn't actually make (yet)

For Parents: some sexual content (kissing +, but no actual sex), some language, some violence

Seventeen year old Juliette can't touch people without causing them pain and ultimately killing them. Three years ago she forgot this truth and had an accident that still haunts her and sent her to solitary confinement at an insane asylum.

Her hellish life changes when she's given a cellmate, a boy named Adam who looks familiar.

This is a book about power, control and sanity. Juliette is surprisingly strong for a woman who's close to losing her sanity due to this power she cannot control. When she comes under the power of the clearly insane Warner, who wants to use her ability to torture and kill those who defy the Reestablishment, the new global world order, she has to make some tough decisions.

Mafi's dystopic world is horrific, one in which people have given up what freedoms remained to them after the plants and animals became so polluted that eating them meant poisoning themselves. The Reestablishment promised hope, but delivered a totalitarian regime in which a few live in luxury while the rest suffer.

The writing is brilliant. Like with Patrick Ness's The Knife of Never Letting Go, Mafi knows the rules of writing and breaks them in delightful ways. Each word is chosen with care, as the protagonist makes the most unusual - but intelligent - metaphors.

Juliette is an intriguing character who is immediately sympathetic. She's never had physical comfort, no hugs, kisses, pats on the back. Seeing through her eyes, it's hard to understand how she survived so long in a hostile world. And she's constantly self-censoring her thoughts, crossing out what she's actually thinking and feeling and replacing those thoughts with ones she thinks others will find more acceptable, because she's spent her life trying to be better and do better so that people will love her.

There's a pretty intense love story woven through the book, made challenging because Juliette doesn't believe she's worthy of love, despite her yearning for it. So the revelation that her suitor can touch her is quite profound, giving her the sensations she's always craved. While there's a lot of touching and kissing and yearning, there's no actual sex.

This is a quick read as the book is very compelling and hard to put down. There are some negative points, but you almost pass over them because you want to know what's going to happen next so badly. A few plot points are accomplished by means of supreme luck with regards to the protagonists. Some of their escapes happen too easily given the world and their circumstances. And the ending implied Juliette made a decision that she never actually made (though the implication is that she would make the choice that the book states she already made).

It's an open ended conclusion that begs for sequels.

Pros: intense character development, fascinating - if terrifying - world, positive message at the end, thought provoking

Cons: very dark tone, some disturbing scenes (religious / near violent)

Hannah Payne has been sentenced to 16 years as a Chrome. Her skin has been turned a rich, vibrant red in order to denote her crime of murder, for aborting her child. The scourge that killed many and made women infertile has been cured and the Sanctity Of Life laws mark women like Hannah as outcasts. Her fundamentalist Christian upbringing did not prepare her for forbidden love with a married man or the horrors she would face as a Red. When She Woke is Hannah's story of endurance, enlightenment and ultimately self-empowerment.

As with many dystopian novels, When She Woke is terrifying because in may ways it's easy to see this future coming about. In the book Roe v. Wade is overturned in order to help increase the population, an act some parties in the US are already trying to do, removing women's rights to control their own bodies and their bodies' reproduction. The idea of tracking released criminals is also one close to being realized, with the jump to making such a database open to the public only a small step further.

While based on Nathanial Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter, When She Woke is much darker. While she faces the reproach and repudiation of Christians, she also faces the lechery of those who would take advantage of the downtrodden, and a fundamentalist group the equivalent of the KKK, that targets and kills Chromes.

The book was therefore unsettling on a number of levels. It reads as though it will have an unpleasant and depressing ending, yet at some point Hannah stops letting others decide her path and takes control of her own life. It's amazing seeing her go from a cowed if outspoken Christian girl to a fully liberated woman who questions the truth and motivations of others. One who knows the consequences of her actions and is willing to face them instead of trying to please others and their notions of repentance. Her character changes so completely - yet so honestly - as the book progresses that when you reach the end it's hard to remember who she was at the beginning of the book.

Not for the faint of heart, this is a good thought-provoking read about personal rights, the justice system and being your own person.

Pros: fabulous writing, witty, complex story with multiple subplots, endearing characters, emotional punch

Cons: the first 5 pages are a bit over the top, get past them and the rest of the book is fabulous

The Importance of Being Earnest meets Twelfth Night in this fabulously written debut novel. Violet Adams has a plan to attend the illustrious school of science, Illyria, by dressing the year as her twin brother Ashton. Being a man is more difficult than Violet considered, and it turns out to be quite an interesting year, filled with experimentation, drinking, exploring the labyrinthine basement of the school, blackmail, avoiding the love of Cicely (ward of Illyria's duke) and dealing with her own complicated feelings towards said duke.

This is a delightful romp that could well have been written by Oscar Wilde himself. It has the feel of Victorian literature, with subtle wit and constant references to things of the period.

As a steampunk novel there's a lot of experimentation going on, but very little scientific explanation, so those who want a more hard SF feel should look elsewhere, while those wishing for a book to ease someone into genre should think of this as the perfect gift.

The plot becomes more and more complex as new characters are added, each with their own plans that interfere with those of the others. And the characters are all complex. Rosen takes a few pages here and there to flesh out even minor characters so their motivations are understood. And while he jumps between heads often, it's always clear whose thoughts you're following.

This book made me laugh, out loud, at several points. It also made me cry. Can't ask for more than that.

Pros: political intrigue, action, middle eastern setting, fantastic world building

Cons: abrupt ending

The Emperor's Knife follows many threads as a disease that tattoos its victims, and then takes over their minds, becomes more prevalent in the Cerani Empire. Lord High Vizier Tuvaini has learned that the childless Emperor Beyon has been touched by the disease, a death sentence by his own law. Beyon's younger brother, and heir, locked in a tower for 15 years, has gone mad, talking to himself and able to see patterns in the marks on his brother's skin. He has discovered two things: that he is able to use magic and that there is a master behind the plague.

Tuvaini sends the Emperor's Knife, Eyul, the only assassin permitted to shed royal blood, to a wise hermit in the desert, several days' ride away, to see what must be done. But Tuvaini is not a patient man, and has his own plans for the throne. Meanwhile, the emperor's mother has sent for a plainswoman to marry her younger son, in hopes of maintaining the royal lineage.

This is a fast paced novel with a lot of political intrigue and action. There's a little something for everyone: assassination, magic, romance. The world building is superb, focused on the desert Empire, but mentioning things beyond the desert, lands with people who have different skin tones, religions and cultural practices. We see this directly in the religion of the Yrkmen and their one god and with Mesema and the people of the Felt.

The characters are all complex, with desires, regrets and fears. From the assassin Eyul, who was forced to kill children at the start of the book, to Tuvaini, who wants to see the empire thrive and expand.

For the start of a trilogy this book is surprisingly self-contained. The ending is abrupt, but closes off many story threads, creating a book that could easily stand alone.

If you liked Daniel Abraham's The Dragon's Path this is the debut for you.

Pros: dystopian/postapocalyptic America, complex world building, intelligent characters, minor romantic elements, fast paced, real concequences for actions, clear POV

Cons:

For Parents: some violence, no language, kissing

Day is 15, from a poor sector, and the Republic's most wanted criminal: for acts of terrorism and because they can't identify him. He breaks into a hospital to steal plague medicine for a family member and has a run-in with military Captain Metias while trying to escape.

June is also 15, the only person to score a perfect 1500 in the Trials. She's being training for a job in the military. When her brother - and only living relative - Metias is killed by the fugitive Day, she's given the job of hunting him down.

Legend takes place in a future where the U.S. has broken up into the Republic and the Colonies. Electricity is intermittent outside the richer sectors and, due to the war, sometimes even within it. Lu has crafted an intricate world but only shows what the characters would notice or care about, so there's a lot of information regarding class distinctions (especially pointed out by June) but little history or politics outside Los Angeles, where the story takes place. Hopefully later books will add more of such information.

The two teen protagonists tell the story in alternating chapters, with Day's side in a brown font so it's impossible to mix up whose point of view it is. And while both teens are super smart, noticing details and getting into adult problems/situations, they're not angsty at all. The characters face very real consequences for their actions even as they develop feelings for each other.

The pacing is fast and the plot is compelling. If you like dystopian YA, read this.

Pros: thought provoking, philosophical without being moralistic, good mix of personal intensity and world affairs, good mix of horror and humour

Cons:

This is John Farrell's account of the years during which the cure for aging is legalized. It is discovered several years after the cure (and most documentation regarding that period) has been destroyed. This frame story gives the novel a similar feel to Max Brooks' World War Z. The reader knows how the book will end, and wants - desperately - to understand how the world came to this horrible place. And don't let the cover fool you, this book has more in common with Cormac McCarthy's The Road than it does with Christopher Moore's humorous satires.

Farrell is 29 when he gets the cure, and for the next few decades parties and enjoys life. He's a lawyer when the idea of cycle marriages (which end after 40 years) become the vogue and is often at the wrong place at the wrong time when it comes to protests and reactionary thinking. Because not everyone thinks the cure is a good thing. And the novel is VERY clear that the wrong place is everywhere. Farrell's experiences are not unique.

From protesters who want the cure legalized, pro-death terrorists, trolls who decide the internet isn't good enough for mischief - they want to maim those who are crowding their space-, to cure hotels in Vegas and the very real consequences of a population that can still catch diseases and die, but can't age beyond their treatment dates, this book covers a lot of philosophical issues. It's impressive that Magary manages to not pass judgement on his characters, showing the different sides of the cure and how humans react to it - or even the promise of it. On occasion Farrell will do roundups with internet links to news articles that mention how the rest of the world is coping with the cure: China bans it, Russia forces its military personnel to get it. He'll also add interviews with pertinent players, like the cure's inventor, or pamphlets, like the one handed out by the Church of Man.

The cure affects every aspect of life, and as the book progresses, the dry humour of the first section slowly vanishes, as Farrell realizes that a life of partying gets old, even if his body doesn't. And when he decides to do something worthwhile with his life, fate steps in.

Magary uses expressions and new language with no explanations (like plug-ins for electric cars), which adds authenticity to his well realized future.

Postmortal is a book about the best and worst aspects of humankind, a novel that will make you question life, the universe and everything. Ultimately, it's a novel about hope, and how we can't live without it.

Pros: clever plotting, thought provoking story, interesting characters, hard SF

Cons: occasionally the protagonist would learn important things offstage that would have been better learned within scenes of the book, climax felt like a rushed information dump, Maddy is surprisingly unconcerned about the consequences of her actions with regards to others

Maddy Grant and her potential step-brother are in an accident at a fair. Ben dies, but Maddy is left severely brain damaged. Luckily for her, her parents contact the Braintree institute, which is experimenting with the use of computer implants.

With the implant, Maddy's as good as new. Better even. She knows things - things she didn't know before, things she doesn't want to know now. Like how to make a rocket out of convenience store items. Like how to kill a man.

Her heightened intelligence causes Maddy to question things that most people ignore, don't question or take for granted. Where does fast food come from? Why do people live in suburbs and commute to cities to work when it takes so much time to get back and forth? Why do we adhere to gender mores that demean and cripple (dieting, high heeled shoes, genital mutilation)? Mr. Greatshell avoids too much social commentary by mentioning these points for discussion from readers but not dwelling on them in the book.

I don't know how accurate the scientific technobabble was, but it sounded convincing and wasn't overwhelming in quantity or detail.

And when Maddy starts to learn what's really been done to her... Well, it's a fascinating story. It's also a surprisingly quick read for all the thought provoking points and scientific experimentation.

At least once in the novel, she learns something off page that confused me when it was mentioned, as there was no hint of it elsewhere in the story. And the ‘reveal' finale was quite an info dump, requiring a few chapters to explain. I'd have liked a slower climax to match the pacing of the rest of the novel. I liked the nod to the Firemen of Fahrenheit 451 and the (perhaps unintentional) one of indentured slavery a la Parable of the Sower.

If you like hard SF set in the modern day, I highly recommend this.