ice wolves

I have, for the past several years, considered myself a dragon person. Not that I am personally a dragon (though I admit to entertaining thoughts about books as a hoard in place of gold), but that I will read practically any book that contains dragons. So along came this middle grade fantasy Ice Wolves by an author I already admired (Amie Kaufman), combining both shapeshifting dragons and wolves, and I knew it would be just my sort of comfort reading. And it was, along with fun, readable, and a solid start to a series with an interesting premise.

Everyone in Vallen knows that ice wolves and scorch dragons are sworn enemies who live deeply separate lives.

So when twelve-year-old orphan Anders takes one elemental form and his twin sister, Rayna, takes another, he wonders whether they are even related. Still, whether or not they’re family, Rayna is Anders’s only true friend. She’s nothing like the brutal, cruel dragons who claimed her as one of their own and stole her away.

In order to rescue her, Anders must enlist at the foreboding Ulfar Academy, a school for young wolves that values loyalty to the pack above all else. But for Anders, loyalty is more complicated than obedience, and friendship is the most powerful shapeshifting force of all.

Anders and Rayna are twins surviving on the streets of Holbard, the biggest city in Vallen. Holbard’s harbor is famous for being protected by magic, and so it has a diverse populace from all over the (fictional) world. Anders and Rayna steal to eat, run across the city’s rooftop meadows, and rely solely on one another – the only way of life they’ve ever known. As orphans of a dragon fire fight that destroyed part of the city when they were very young, they must make it on their own – coexisting with other street kids, but never joining them. When the city’s typical trial for twelve year olds to see if they can manage a wolf transformation upends their lives, Anders will have to step out of his more independent sister’s shadow, make his own way, make new friends, and concoct a daring rescue/escape plan.

Ice Wolves is an action-packed adventure with plucky orphans, a wolf school, mysteriously failing magics, secretive enemies, kidnappings, ice and fire fights, and scorch dragons and ice wolves. It’s definitely an electric mix, and the plot is fast-moving to match the subject matter. Anders is the focal point, and his frustrations and explorations introduce the reader to a world full of contradictions.

Anders himself is the typical unlikely hero who discovers something remarkable about himself, but cannot capitalize on it (and is the weakest link in his new environment). Meanwhile he’s trying, for the first time in his life, to be the twin with initiative and rescue his savvier sister. It’s a fairly standard setup for the middle grade fantasy genre, and I would not say it is groundbreaking…

EXCEPT, Kaufman’s writing is solid and the concept (dragon- and wolf-shifters at war!) is terrific. Ice Wolves will introduce young fans to a cool fantasy world based a bit on Norse history (marked by Holbard’s turf roofs, runic magic, and location far enough north that there’s plenty of snow). Kaufman also has Anders mull the moral quandaries of stealing to eat, saving and acknowledging society’s most vulnerable, his city’s class hierarchy, the divide between magical and regular humans, and misinformation campaigns spread by those in power. In addition, Anders and Rayna are brown, which challenges the white-as-default stereotype I read as a young fantasy fan (and which still pervades today). All while keeping the plot moving and including plot twists!

In all, Kaufman’s execution, world-building and attention to detail in Ice Wolves generate something out of the ordinary. The Elementals series is sure to make new fans of fantasy, dragons, and werewolves, and delight current ones.

Recommended for: fans of dragon books, those who like middle grade fantasy and science fiction along the lines of Shannon Hale’s Princess Academy or the How to Train Your Dragon films, and anyone with a soft spot for shapeshifting and adventurous orphans.

waiting on wednesday (81)

Today I’m participating in "Waiting On" Wednesday, a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. Its purpose is to spotlight upcoming book releases that we’re eagerly anticipating.

Last year I read a fantastic YA sci-fi novel (These Broken Stars, by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner).  I called it “a can't-put-it-down read, with a satisfying romantic element (no love triangles here!) and mystery.” At the time I also mentioned that it was the first in a series, and despite my rampant series fatigue, I was excited to read the next installment.  WELL, folks, it’s not a series.  Or it IS, just that each of the books is its own, self-contained story, featuring unique characters.  And that, meus amiginhos, is my favorite sort of series.  Can I repeat that I loved the first book?!  I can’t freaking wait for This Shattered World. It will be released by Disney-Hyperion on December 23, 2014.

Jubilee Chase and Flynn Cormac should never have met.

Lee is captain of the forces sent to Avon to crush the terraformed planet’s rebellious colonists, but she has her own reasons for hating the insurgents.

Rebellion is in Flynn’s blood. His sister died in the original uprising against the powerful corporate conglomerate that rules Avon with an iron fist. These corporations make their fortune by terraforming uninhabitable planets across the universe and recruiting colonists to make the planets livable, with the promise of a better life for their children. But they never fulfilled their promise on Avon, and decades later, Flynn is leading the rebellion.

Desperate for any advantage against the military occupying his home, Flynn does the only thing that makes sense when he and Lee cross paths: he returns to base with her as prisoner. But as his fellow rebels prepare to execute this tough-talking girl with nerves of steel, Flynn makes another choice that will change him forever. He and Lee escape base together, caught between two sides in a senseless war.

What books are you waiting on?

these broken stars

I feel a sort of unflagging enthusiasm for young adult sci-fi.  That's not to say that I have read or plan to read every book in the genre (clearly not! never enough time!), or that I like every book I read either (see: The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey).  And yet.  I see gorgeous cover art or read a summary, and I am EXCITED, in all capital letters, for space and science and all of the splendid possibilities that go with that.  Now on to the specific book in question... I met the lovely Meg Spooner when she was promoting her debut, Skylark.  She mentioned that she was co-writing a YA sci-fi as well, and I KNOW my eyes got big, and my heartbeat went into overdrive.  Because it's just awesome, you know?  So that's how I found out about Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner’s These Broken Stars.  An opportunity came up to read an ARC for a book tour, and I took it. Obvi.

It's a night like any other on board the Icarus. Then, catastrophe strikes: the massive luxury spaceliner is yanked out of hyperspace and plummets into the nearest planet. Lilac LaRoux and Tarver Merendsen survive. And they seem to be alone.

Lilac is the daughter of the richest man in the universe. Tarver comes from nothing, a young war hero who learned long ago that girls like Lilac are more trouble than they’re worth. But with only each other to rely on, Lilac and Tarver must work together, making a tortuous journey across the eerie, deserted terrain to seek help.

Then, against all odds, Lilac and Tarver find a strange blessing in the tragedy that has thrown them into each other’s arms. Without the hope of a future together in their own world, they begin to wonder—would they be better off staying here forever?

Everything changes when they uncover the truth behind the chilling whispers that haunt their every step. Lilac and Tarver may find a way off this planet. But they won’t be the same people who landed on it.

The first in a sweeping science fiction trilogy, These Broken Stars is a timeless love story about hope and survival in the face of unthinkable odds.

Lilac LaRoux is the daughter of a very rich, very powerful man.  He wants her safe, so safe Lilac will be safe.  From others, from herself, and (sometimes, but not always) from the truth.  She puts on the mask of a socialite to hide her depths, and carries on proud and untouchable.  That is, until she meets Tarver Merendsen, a young soldier from a different class and a different life.  Their paths shouldn't have crossed.  They can't have anything in common, until they do - they're both survivors of a spacewreck.  Fighting for their lives on an uninhabited planet brings Lilac and Tarver together - to face the darkest truths of all.

I've heard These Broken Stars described as Titanic in space, and I agree, to a point.  The catalyst of the story is, after all, an enormous shipwreck.  It just happens to be in space, rather than the Atlantic Ocean.  But beyond that, Kaufman and Spooner have started an adventure on an epic scale.  This is not just a wreck.  It's about the crash, about the journey, about devastating discoveries, about falling a little bit (or a lot!) in love with the only person left in your world, and about the aftermath of something terrible happening to one of the most important people in the universe.  And no, it's not over after one book.  I, of rampant series fatigue, can honestly say I can't wait to read the next book.

The story is emotional and pulse-pounding, and part of that is in the nature of the book itself - dual narration split between the two main characters.  Lilac's voice was strongest, but both narrators contributed to convincing pacing and tension.  The star-crossed/impossible future thing was intense, though it wasn't clear to me whether that was the result of forced proximity or true love.  I suppose only the future will tell.  Also left up to future books: a web of secrecy, power and politics that I believe will elevate this series into full space opera grandiosity.

Overall, These Broken Stars is a can't-put-it-down read, with a satisfying romantic element (no love triangles here!) and mystery.  It wasn't startlingly original, but the execution impressed me.  Will definitely appeal to both fans of young adult AND fans of sci-fi.

Recommended for: those who enjoy YA science fiction, fans of Lois McMaster Bujold's Shards of Honor, and those who appreciate a star-crossed lovers theme crossed with a dark mystery.

These Broken Stars will be released by Disney-Hyperion on December 10, 2013.

Fine print: I read an ARC of These Broken Stars courtesy of a Books and Sensibility ARC Tour. I did not receive any compensation for posting this review.

waiting on wednesday (55)

Today I’m participating in "Waiting On" Wednesday, a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. Its purpose is to spotlight upcoming book releases that we’re eagerly anticipating.

I've been meaning to read more YA sci-fi (no really, i made it a new year's resolution).  To tell you the truth, it's an easy goal to meet because the 2013 YA sci-fi lineup looks amazing - from the gorgeous covers the story summaries.  At the verrrrry end of 2013 we have one of my most anticipated books (sci-fi or not) of the year.  It's an epic, with romance and mystery and two teens from different classes and a SPACECRASH.  Oh, and did I mention that the lovely local author Meg Spooner is a co-author?  Yes indeed.  Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner’s These Broken Stars will be released on December 10, 2013 by Disney Hyperion.  AND I CANNOT FLIPPING WAIT.

It's a night like any other on board the Icarus. Then, catastrophe strikes: the massive luxury spaceliner is yanked out of hyperspace and plummets into the nearest planet. Lilac LaRoux and Tarver Merendsen survive. And they seem to be alone.

Lilac is the daughter of the richest man in the universe. Tarver comes from nothing, a young war hero who learned long ago that girls like Lilac are more trouble than they’re worth. But with only each other to rely on, Lilac and Tarver must work together, making a tortuous journey across the eerie, deserted terrain to seek help.

Then, against all odds, Lilac and Tarver find a strange blessing in the tragedy that has thrown them into each other’s arms. Without the hope of a future together in their own world, they begin to wonder—would they be better off staying here forever?

Everything changes when they uncover the truth behind the chilling whispers that haunt their every step. Lilac and Tarver may find a way off this planet. But they won’t be the same people who landed on it.

The first in a sweeping science fiction trilogy, These Broken Stars is a timeless love story about hope and survival in the face of unthinkable odds.

What books are you waiting on?