Caine, Rachel: Firestorm

ISBN: 0451461045

From the Publisher:

Putting aside the personal chaos that has plagued her, rogue Weather Warden Joanne Baldwin must rally the remnants of the Weather Warden corps against a double threat-the Djinn who have broken free from Warden control, and a cranky Mother Earth who's about to unleash her full fury against the entire world.

Have you ever read a book where at the end you just think "CRAAAAAAAP... I wish I wouldn't have finished this one"? Yeah, I'm there right now. The book was so good. The characters were brilliant. The plot was seemless and easy to follow. But then ending? WAS SUCH A CLIFFHANGER!!! And? It's not fair because Thin Air doesn't come out until August or so. Poo.

Firestorm is number five in Rachel Caine's amazing Weather Warden series. I will say that I think it's her best to date. Jo, the main character, is trying to save the world from a very cranky Mother Earth, who's waking up to find her peaceful and orderly world changed to our present day mayhem. Jo has to jump through a million hoops, facing bad guys from the books before and new not-so-good guys.

It's a great book. I would really recommend this series to any adult who likes an edgy heroine who likes fast cars and good shoes. There is some language and at least one sex scene, so it might not be for everyone, but I'd definitely recommend it to those who aren't phased by that stuff. Seriously - great writing all around.

Nix, Garth: Abhorsen

ISBN: 0739432176

From the back of the book:

Orannis the Destroyer has been freed and only Lirael, newly come into her inheritance as the Abhorsen-in-waiting, has any chance of stopping it. She and her companions - Sam, the Disreputable Dog, and Mogget - have to take that chance. If Orannis' unspeakable powers are unleashed, it will mean the end of all Life. With the help of her companions and a vision from the Clayr to guide her, Lirael must search in both Life and Death for some means to defeat the Destroyer - before it is too late...

Well, all I have to say is Wow. This book, the final in the trilogy, is the best of the three. It is breathtaking, brilliant, heartrending and beautiful. Mr. Nix mixes the right amount of personal feelings, great characterization, strife and love into this book. I honestly can't think of a single way to make it any better.

This book does not stand alone, it is the final "chapter" of the ongoing story of the Old Kingdom. I found it hard to put down, and I'm having some issues with the non-finality of the ending, but that's just me. I feel like there could be more told, but perhaps there is something in the works that I do not know about. Regardless, it was a fantastic book and it was totally worth the time spent reading it.

Anyway, everyone will like this book, although some of the scenes may be frightening (again with the dead people, etc.). I would recommend that this be saved for teens over the age of 13 or so, depending on maturity. There is some violence, but no cursing or romance.

Lisle, Holly: I See You

ISBN: 0451412214

From the Publisher:

For paramedic Dia Courvant, each day brings the possibility of facing blood and death. But nothing matched the horror of the day she was dispatched to the scene of a terrible car accident and rescued the sole survivor--only to find her own husband dead in the wreckage. Now, four years later, a series of deadly car crashes has brought handsome detective Brig Hafferty into Dia's life. She's drawn to Brig, but can she trust him enough to tell him of the terror that stalks her? For Dia has received a message warning her of danger and death--a message that seems to have been sent to her from beyond the grave.

This is another book by Holly Lisle, and I have to tell you, that it was just as good as the other. It's a paranormal/suspense/romance, with just the right amount of each. You keep guessing right until the last minute, and even then, you're surprised!

Ms. Lisle did an excellent job of mixing the tention between the characters to create that spark that some couples lack. It was the kind of relationship that makes you want to cheer when they finally get together. I did feel like their relationship happened a little bit fast, but you know? If they took weeks and weeks to get together? That would make for kind of boring reading!

I would recommend this book for anyone over 18 who likes a little creepy in with their love story.

Nix, Garth: Lirael

ISBN: 0060005424

From the Publisher

Lirael has never felt like a true daughter of the Clayr. Abandoned by her mother, ignorant of her father’s identity, Lirael resembles no one else in her large extended family living in the Clayr’s Glacier. She doesn’t even have the Sight -- the ability to See into the present and possible futures -- that is the very birthright of the Clayr.

Nonetheless, it is Lirael in whose hands the fate of the Old Kingdom lies. She must undertake a desperate mission under the growing shadow of an ancient evil -- one that opposes the Royal Family, blocks the Sight of the Clay; and threatens to break the very boundary between Life and Death itself. With only her faithful companion, the Disreputable Dog, to help her, Lirael must find the courage to seek her own hidden destiny.

In this sequel to the critically acclaimed Sabriel, Garth Nix draws readers deeper into the magical landscape of the Old Kingdom and weaves a spellbinding tale of discovery, destiny, and danger.

I picked this one up directly after Sabriel, because I wanted to read more about Touchstone and Sabriel. This one picks up with another character form the same area, and dealing with the same problems, but not necessarily with Sabriel and Touchstone. We do, however, meet their children, Sameth (their son) and their daughter (I can't remember her name, other than it was also a name of Sabriel's childhood friend). I didn't mind the switch, as we get to see their families and their struggles, as well as adding additional characters to the mix.

Lirael is a strong book in two parts, finishing with Abhorsen. It's a fantastic journey of growth, discovery, and has a lot to do with finding one's place in the world. I can't go into any detail, as even the slightest information will give away important parts of the plot - parts better left read. So do pick up Sabriel, Lirael and Abhorsen, and be prepared for an excellent journey through a land that combines modern technology and magic in such a unique way that you will remember this story forever.

Nix, Garth: Sabriel

ISBN: 0064471837

From the Publisher:

Since childhood, Sabriel has lived outside the walls of the Old Kingdom, away from the power of Free Magic, and away from the Dead who refuse to stay dead. But now her father, the Mage Abhorson, is missing, and Sabriel must cross into that world to find him. With Mogget, whose feline form hides a powerful, perhaps malevolent spirit, and Touchstone, a young Charter Mage, Sabriel travels deep into the Old Kingdom. There she confronts an evil that threatens much more than her life and comes face to face with her own hidden destiny.

Sabriel is a book that I was attracted to for its cover, but not one that I actually picked up and bought. It wasn't until it was leant to me that I actually sat down and read it. I'm quite glad that I did. While it's a book aimed at younger readers (12 - 15, I would think), it carries quite well over to an adult audience.

The book isn't nearly as crunchy or as mature as I am used to reading, but this is mostly due to it being intended for younger readers. That said, I really enjoyed it. I like Mr. Nix's blend of modern or turn of the century technology with typical fantasy motifs. I especially liked his creativity with the plane she flies, with her bells that banish the dead, and with the use of running water.

I think my favourite character was the talking cat. While that might be because I'm partial to cats and I just really wish that mine would talk, I do think that he's an excellent character, and an asset, not a distraction, to the story.

I thought that the tale was cleverly put together, carried and ended. It was well writen from start to finish, and ended well. In fact, I'm going to pick up Lireal next, instead of taking a break between the books! This book is good for all audiences, and while might scare younger children, is still appropriate for advanced readers in the 1o - 12 year range.

Lisle, Holly: Midnight Rain

ISBN: 0451411757

From the Publisher:

Phoebe Rain's sadistic ex-husband lies in a coma a thousand miles away - a coma she put him the last time he tried to kill her. Yet Phoebe knows the voice on the other end of the line belongs to the twisted man who vowed he'd never let her get away. Panicked, she turns to her neighbor, Dr. Alan MacKerrie. Alan finds the story hard to believe himself, but now he, too, is receiving chilling, ghostly warnings of danger. Caught between icy terror and mounting passion for Alan, Phoebe knows there's no escape.

It sounds kind of cliche, doesn't it? But you know what? Cliche totally works for this author, and specifically, for this book. It's a pretty typical suspense romance with a small bit of the supernatural thrown it.

All of Ms. Lisle's characters are extremely well written and believable, right down to the creep factor of the ex-husband. The more you read, the more creeped out you get, even though you are totally rooting for the "survivor sex" as well. It's an odd feeling - you are thinking "Run! Run! But wait! Make out first!"

I thought that the plot held up exceptionally well, that the pace was never boring or dry (I read this book in less than a day's time span, so that has to say something), and the plot twists were quite believable. Ms. Lisle does an excellent job to keep you guessing right up until the very end, when she lays it all out for you.

I found the white dress scene very reminiscent of Kill Bill (the movie), but that might have just been me. After all, the two are not really related, but it was very very Kill Bill feeling.

I would recommend this book to any adult who wants something exciting and breath-taking to read. Don't think you'll be investing weeks in this book - you won't be able to put it down and it will be done before you know it.

I feel obliged to mention that Holly Lisle is an accomplished author with many, many books on the market. Unfortunately, her latest series, the Novels of Korre are being threatened to have their contract ended. I haven't had a chance to read Talyn yet, but I understand that it is an excellent book. If you read the snippet below and are interested in reading more, please follow this link. If you like what you read, please buy the book. This will ensure that Ms. Lisle will be able to finish this series and leave us with a whole story, rather than just half.

In a world where technology is magic, and war is the only way of life, Talyn is a soldier, one of thousands trained from childhood to protect her Country from the monarchist Eastil, who would take away the personal freedoms of the Tonk.

Talyn long ago embraced her fate: to die in battle. This is a war of magic, not of swords, and the battles are fought deep inside the View, a place where the magic inherent in everything and everyone is actualized. The soldiers--on both sides--can bring this magic to the physical plane and use it to destroy houses, fields, and people.
But the Feegash came from across the world, and demanded to be allowed to negotiate peace between the Eastil and the Tonk for the sake of the rest of the world. Their success meant Talyn was out of a job, and at a loss for what to do with her life.

Rather than follow most of her fellow soldiers to jobs in other parts of the world, Talyn stayed with her family in her town--and there she is seduced by a Feegash diplomat. With him she experiences a dark side of herself that she hadn't even imagined, and learns a new kind of magery.And she discovers the mistreatment of Eastil prisoners of war, still in Tonk hands, and weighs her life against saving theirs.

It's a matter of honor--and her honor will be challenged again and again as she slowly discovers that what the Feegash have brought with them was not peace but an overwhelming oppression, and an evil so insidious no one noticed it until it was too late.

But if Talyn can hone her use of the Feegash flesh-magery, she can turn their own magic back against them. With the help of one of the Eastil prisoners, she might be able to use it to save the Tonk andthe Eastil, and defeat the Feegash once and for all... if it doesn't destroy her from the inside out first.

Viehl, S. L.: Blade Dancer

ISBN: 0451459466

From Publisher's Weekly:

Viehl's (StarDoc) latest far-future space opera boasts un-put-downable action, more potentially lethal twists than an electric eel, a spunky yet vulnerable seven-foot heroine with retractable claws and a blue-skinned supernally endowed warrior hunk who's determined to remain a virgin. Young Jory Rask, veteran of the Terran big league shockball circuit, assembles her six ClanChildren of Honor siblings, half-breed offspring of Jorenian mothers raped by an assortment of alien hooligans and spurned by the warrior culture of paradisical planet Joren. Bent on avenging their mothers' honor, Jory and her spooky sibs join a mysterious assassins' training school of "blade dancers" on the planet Reytalon, where they inevitably distinguish themselves gruesomely in a Ninja-like kill-or-be-dismembered sequence of training levels. Viehl briskly incorporates Jory's adolescent anger and grief for her dead mother into the young woman's hunt for her father, Kieran, who just happens to have become a blade dancer himself. Despite the predictable, breathlessly paced plot, Jory's flip manner and wry one-liners cover a convincingly breaking heart. Viehl's strengths lie less in depth of characterization and motivation than in cinematic fast cuts, splices and tech effects. She also can yank herself back from the brink of the black hole of political polemic with another slashingly good sword fight or a juicily feline love tryst: plenty of fun, plenty of gore, probably plenty of sequels in the offing.

Wow, that? Right there? The above paragraph? Pretty much just said everything that I wanted to. Ok, fine, I'll give you what I thought too.

I really liked this book, even though I'm not a huge sci-fi/space opera fan. I read them and I can appreciate them, but I'm not the type that thinks "ZOMG!!! Sci-Fi! Best Ever!!!!one!!!eleventyhundred!!!!!!111!!!!!!" But you know, I'll read it and keep an open mind and all.

Maybe it's because S. L. Viehl is a very talented romance writer that this book worked so well for me. There was enough plot, enough character development and enough romance that I kept reading. It's pretty good. While it doesn't rank in my All Time Top 10 Best Books EVER, it's pretty good, and possibly one that I will keep in my collection.

This book is for people 16 and up (due to violence, mature themes and stuff like that), and for everyone who wants a littel romance in their sci-fi or a little sci-fi in their romance. Enjoy.

Oh yeah, if you want to check out Viehl's blog, you can do so here, at Paperback Writer.

Ps. I tried to find out the difference between space opera and sci-fi, and couldn't find any conclusive evidence. Sorry!

Meyer, Stephenie: Twilight

ISBN: 0316015849

From the School Library Journal:

Headstrong, sun-loving, 17-year-old Bella declines her mom's invitation to move to Florida, and instead reluctantly opts to move to her dad's cabin in the dreary, rainy town of Forks, WA. She becomes intrigued with Edward Cullen, a distant, stylish, and disarmingly handsome senior, who is also a vampire. When he reveals that his specific clan hunts wildlife instead of humans, Bella deduces that she is safe from his blood-sucking instincts and therefore free to fall hopelessly in love with him. The feeling is mutual, and the resulting volatile romance smolders as they attempt to hide Edward's identity from her family and the rest of the school. Meyer adds an eerie new twist to the mismatched, star-crossed lovers theme: predator falls for prey, human falls for vampire. This tension strips away any pretense readers may have about the everyday teen romance novel, and kissing, touching, and talking take on an entirely new meaning when one small mistake could be life-threatening. Bella and Edward's struggle to make their relationship work becomes a struggle for survival, especially when vampires from an outside clan infiltrate the Cullen territory and head straight for her. As a result, the novel's danger-factor skyrockets as the excitement of secret love and hushed affection morphs into a terrifying race to stay alive. Realistic, subtle, succinct, and easy to follow, Twilight will have readers dying to sink their teeth into it.

This is one of the most fantastic young adult books that I have read in a very, very long time. It read smoothly without being juvenile, and it handled teen issues (mainly, first love and parental divorce) in a realistic and genuine way. While most would label it as a Romance, I didn't find it too romantic, and thus too unrealistic.

Ms. Meyer managed to create real, beautiful and multi-faceted characters. Her dialog is excellent, and not choppy and her world-building is next to none. To be honest, the cover of this book is what first attracted me, and I am glad that I picked it up.

New Moon, a sequel to Twilight has been released early, and is now available. Chapters lists it as hardcover, but for $15, so I have a feeling it might actually be in Trade format (which is what Twilight is). I'll definitely be swinging around my bookstore this month to pick it up!

I would recommend this book to people (especially girls, although boys will enjoy it too) aged 15 and up, due to violence and possible frightening scenes.

The cover:

Caine, Rachel: Windfall

ISBN: 045146057X

From the Publisher:

When the truce between the Wardens and the mystical Djinn starts to self-destruct, Weather Warden Joanne Baldwin is forced to choose between saving her Djinn lover, saving her abilities, and saving humanity.

There isn't a whole lot to say about this book, as I generally find in most series. I can't go into detail, as it will spoil the first three in the series, and if you are familiar with the Weather Warden series, you need no explanation.

This is a solid book that most audiences will enjoy. There are sexual situations (although no graphic sex), and some violence, so definitely an adult read, but I give it two big tumbs up. I really enjoyed this installment, and look forward to the next book.

For more information on the series, click the post title to be directed to Rachel Caine's website. The order of the books in the series is as follows:

1. Ill Winds
2. Heat Stroke
3. Chill Factor
4. Windfall
5. Firestorm
6. Thin Air (to be released in August 2007)

It's a series I would definitely recommend checking out.