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.

princess decomposia and count spatula

You might take a quick glance at the cover of this graphic novel and think, “What is Cecelia doing, reviewing a gothic tale on Valentine’s Day?! She has her holidays mixed up.”  Bear with me for half a second!  The tagline on the cover is actually “Who says romance is dead?” and if you look closely, that vampire has hearts for eyes.  Unlikely as it may seem, this is actually the perfect read for the occasion.  Andi Watson’s Princess Decomposia and Count Spatula is all-around adorable and very, very sweet.

Princess Decomposia is overworked and underappreciated.  

This princess of the underworld has plenty of her own work to do but always seems to find herself doing her layabout father's job, as well. The king doesn't feel quite well, you see. Ever. So the princess is left scurrying through the halls, dodging her mummy, werewolf, and ghost subjects, always running behind and always buried under a ton of paperwork. Oh, and her father just fired the chef, so now she has to hire a new cook as well. 

Luckily for Princess Decomposia, she makes a good hire in Count Spatula, the vampire chef with a sweet tooth. He's a charming go-getter of a blood-sucker, and pretty soon the two young ghouls become friends. And then...more than friends? Maybe eventually, but first Princess Decomposia has to sort out her life. And with Count Spatula at her side, you can be sure she'll succeed.  

Andi Watson (Glister, Gum Girl) brings his signature gothy-cute sensibility to this very sweet and mildly spooky tale of friendship, family, and management training for the undead.

Princess Decomposia does the work of the kingdom while her invalid father King Wulfrun spends each day in bed.  Running a kingdom is hard (and hungry) work!  When the castle cook resigns without notice on the day before the werewolf delegation is due for dinner, Princess Decomposia (Dee for short) is thrown for a loop.  Luckily for Dee, vampire chef Count Spatula is an applicant for the new opening. The Count brings a certain flair for the experimental to the castle and the Princess’ life – but will it last?  Duty may yet trump romance (and baked goods)…

The plot is fairly simple: overworked girl meets new boy, the status quo changes, people react, girl makes a decision, there’s a revelation!, and with a little bit of work, the characters get a happily ever after.  As you might be able to tell from the title and cover art, this is all done in a tongue-in-cheek fictional paranormal kingdom, where the scullery maid is a clove of garlic and the zombie head of state makes boring dinner conversation.  Half the fun is seeing what sort of monster will make an appearance next, and what role they will play in the story.  The combination of subtle and overt humor is delightful.

Of course, with a character named Count Spatula, there are cooking- and baking-related adventures.  The Count doesn’t have the references of some applicants, but he is adept at caring for people (or monsters, in this case) and whipping up fantastical desserts in short order.  His unique take on Lemon Drizzle Cake looked crazy/good, and the Mud Monster Cake made me laugh out loud.  I find myself craving these fictional sweets as I read.  A mouth-watering problem, to be sure.

The art, with a few exceptions, is almost all arranged in 5 or 6 small panels per page, and done exclusively in black and white.  This is perfect for the ghoulish characters (who would mostly be black and white, anyway!), but at some points a proliferation of bones in one illustration or another would confuse my eye a bit – not enough contrast.  The style is cute and unfussy for what are usually grim, horrible creatures, and I loved that juxtaposition.  The art seems to invite the reader to laugh at or imagine the daily lives of traditional scary monsters, and that’s just fun, you know? 

In all, this graphic novel is a pleasure to read.  It’s quick, all-ages appropriate, and highlights the themes of asking for help when you need it, doing what you can to fix things when you make a mistake, and (of course) the joys of baking.

Recommended for: fans of both paranormal fantasy and graphic novels, and anyone looking for a brief, adorable read.

Princess Decomposia and Count Spatula will be released on February 24, 2015 by First Second Books (Macmillan).

Interested in other food-related posts?  Check out Beth Fish Reads' Weekend Cooking!

Fine print: I received a copy of this book from the publisher for review consideration. I did not receive any compensation for this post.

black dog giveaway

2014 is still young, but I’ve already read some great books.  As I mentioned on twitter yesterday, the best young adult book I’ve read so far this year is Rachel Neumeier’s Black Dog.  It has unique mythology, complex characters, diversity, and a plot that just won’t stop.  Basically, it’s AWESOME. 

I want to share my love of this book with all of you!  I’ll give away a paperback or ebook copy of Rachel Neumeier’s Black Dog to two giveaway winners.  To enter to win, simply fill out the FORM.  Giveaway open internationally, will end at 11:59pm EST on February 28^th.  Winners will be selected randomly and notified via email.  Good luck!

Natividad is Pure, one of the rare girls born able to wield magic. Pure magic can protect humans against the supernatural evils they only half-acknowledge – the blood kin or the black dogs. In rare cases – like for Natividad’s father and older brother – Pure magic can help black dogs find the strength to control their dark powers.

But before Natividad’s mother can finish teaching her magic their enemies find them. Their entire village in the remote hills of Mexico is slaughtered by black dogs. Their parents die protecting them. Natividad and her brothers must flee across a strange country to the only possible shelter: the infamous black dogs of Dimilioc, who have sworn to protect the Pure.

In the snowy forests of Vermont they are discovered by Ezekiel Korte, despite his youth the strongest black dog at Dimilioc and the appointed pack executioner. Intrigued by Natividad he takes them to Dimilioc instead of killing them.

Now they must pass the tests of the Dimilioc Master. Alejandro must prove he can learn loyalty and control even without his sister’s Pure magic. Natividad’s twin Miguel must prove that an ordinary human can be more than a burden to be protected. And even at Dimilioc a Pure girl like Natividad cannot remain unclaimed to cause fighting and distraction. If she is to stay she must choose a black dog mate.

But, first, they must all survive the looming battle.

black dog

I am intrigued by the idea of werewolves, and I know I am not the only one out there (see: the popularity of paranormal fiction and film).  Even more than werewolves themselves, I’m interested in the mythology and world-building it takes to make a story with werewolves in it viable and more-or-less believable.  So: I was interested, and I’d heard about Rachel Neumeier’s Black Dog, But what actually got me reading?  Stephanie Burgis’ tweet and Liviana’s review.  All at once I felt a pull toward the book – you could even say it was like the lure of the full moon (if you wanted to be incredibly cheesy) – and I am so glad I heeded that call.  The puns, they just write themselves…

Natividad is Pure, one of the rare girls born able to wield magic. Pure magic can protect humans against the supernatural evils they only half-acknowledge – the blood kin or the black dogs. In rare cases – like for Natividad’s father and older brother – Pure magic can help black dogs find the strength to control their dark powers.

But before Natividad’s mother can finish teaching her magic their enemies find them. Their entire village in the remote hills of Mexico is slaughtered by black dogs. Their parents die protecting them. Natividad and her brothers must flee across a strange country to the only possible shelter: the infamous black dogs of Dimilioc, who have sworn to protect the Pure.

In the snowy forests of Vermont they are discovered by Ezekiel Korte, despite his youth the strongest black dog at Dimilioc and the appointed pack executioner. Intrigued by Natividad he takes them to Dimilioc instead of killing them.

Now they must pass the tests of the Dimilioc Master. Alejandro must prove he can learn loyalty and control even without his sister’s Pure magic. Natividad’s twin Miguel must prove that an ordinary human can be more than a burden to be protected. And even at Dimilioc a Pure girl like Natividad cannot remain unclaimed to cause fighting and distraction. If she is to stay she must choose a black dog mate.

But, first, they must all survive the looming battle.

Natividad and her brothers Miguel and Alejandro are on the run – and they’re hoping that their destination will offer a refuge.  Hoping, but not counting on it.  Natividad’s parents were killed in Mexico in an attack from their father’s enemy, and now they’re fleeing to his homeland Dimilioc, in Vermont. Dimilioc is their only option, despite its repulation.  Natividad is Pure, a rare girl who can use magic, her twin Miguel is human, and Alejandro is a black dog, a shifter.  And Dimilioc is famous for being the home of the most vicious and protective black dogs – black wolves – in North America.  But before they can find a place in Dimilioc, they will have to prepare for a battle against the enemy that followed them across a continent.

I REALLY liked this book.  It had unique werewolf lore, diversity, fantastic world-building, beautiful writing, layered characters and an intense fight for survival (aka plot).  Wait, I need to write more?!  Ha.  Let’s go with Natividad.  She’s a girl who has recently lost her home as well as her mother, but she’s still intensely protective and caring.  She’s not surrendering to anger or turning her emotions into reasons to fight. She doesn’t always know the answer, she sometimes acts rashly, but she’s constantly learning and hoping and surviving, driven all the time by love for family. I wonder if it is possible NOT to fall in love with Natividad.

Even if Natividad didn’t carry the story, there’s Dimilioc and its complicated hierarchy, and Miguel and Alejandro struggling to find a place in it – all the while wondering if death is around the next corner.  It’s pretty intense stuff, and that’s not even counting the fight against Malvern Vonhausel, their father’s old enemy.  Add in the very nature of black dogs, where the ‘shadow’ of their other self is always trying to overtake their human side, and you have a setting rife with tension and anger, shame and secrets that keep trust from taking root.  And still, that’s not all.

Neumeier has written a story where familial relationships shine.  Miguel and Alejandro and Natividad are the obvious family unit, but so too are the Dimilioc wolves.  The give and take of those relationships adds layers of depth to every character – there are no cardboard representations in Black Dog.  Also wonderful: the diversity of those characters and families, and the Spanish dialogue that Natividad and her brothers fall into unwittingly or use to describe their magic/nature.  The obvious contrast of Mexico and Vermont adds to the strangeness of the situation for the newcomers.  As Natividad assimilates to her new environment, so does the reader.  It’s really rather genius.

You may have noticed that I have said nothing yet about the fact that Natividad, due to her status as Pure, must choose a mate (it’s right there in the official summary). I understand that this is part of the culture/tradition in this setting, but it still made me uncomfortable in the extreme, especially at the beginning.  I believe Neumeier deals with this element well (by narrowing the field almost immediately), but the fact remains that all of Natividad’s dealings with the Dimilioc wolves have at least a double meaning.  Of course they value her magic, but they value her possible fertility even more.  I can’t decide if I think this is creepy enough to be a true reservation, or adds to the world-building.  Probably a little bit of both.

I will certainly be reading the sequel, and I very much enjoyed the book overall.  It’s young adult fantasy with a bite, and the tension and pace compliment the characterization and plot wonderfully well.

Recommended for: fans of werewolves and unique paranormal lore, those who like diversity, great world-building and solid characters, and anyone who loved Robin McKinley’s Sunshine or Anne Bishop’s Written in Red.

Fine print: I received an e-ARC of Black Dog from the publisher (Strange Chemistry) via NetGalley for honest review.

written in red

I have read Anne Bishop before, and I really enjoyed the worlds and characters she created (I read her Ephemera series).  Even so, I was skeptical when I saw her name on the cover of what looked like a very stereotypical adult paranormal fantasy.  I have read some great titles in the genre, but in between I have had to weed my way through plenty of ‘did not finish’ books, sometimes after I’d been promised a rip-roaring good time. 

What convinced me to pick up Written in Red, then?  Another reader’s reaction.  Wendy Darling of The Midnight Garden wrote an amazingly positive review and I thought: I’m on a werewolf kick anyway (The Silvered, The Shape of Desire), this is Anne Bishop, readers I trust loved it, and I like the sound of the set up.  Dear goodness, am I glad I bought in.  I read the book all in one (very long) night, and I thought and dreamt about it for several following.  Tonight I’m feeling a strong compulsion to re-read it as I write this review.  Friends, Written in Red is addictive.

No one creates realms like New York Times bestselling author Anne Bishop. Now in a thrilling new fantasy series, enter a world inhabited by the Others, unearthly entities—vampires and shape-shifters among them—who rule the Earth and whose prey are humans. 

As a cassandra sangue, or blood prophet, Meg Corbyn can see the future when her skin is cut—a gift that feels more like a curse. Meg’s Controller keeps her enslaved so he can have full access to her visions. But when she escapes, the only safe place Meg can hide is at the Lakeside Courtyard—a business district operated by the Others.

Shape-shifter Simon Wolfgard is reluctant to hire the stranger who inquires about the Human Liaison job. First, he senses she’s keeping a secret, and second, she doesn’t smell like human prey. Yet a stronger instinct propels him to give Meg the job. And when he learns the truth about Meg and that she’s wanted by the government, he’ll have to decide if she’s worth the fight between humans and the Others that will surely follow.

Meg Corbyn is a blood prophet.  When her skin is broken, she sees visions – valuable ones.  In her world, that means that her body is a product and her life is not her own.  When Meg escapes from her Controller and stumbles on the preserve of the Others, she thinks she’s found a reprieve.  The Others, who are elementals, shifters and beings that have no name, make a place for Meg.  But Meg’s keepers want her back, and the Others, led by Simon Wolfgard, will have to decide how far they will go to protect this human, and what it may mean for their world if they decide to keep her for their own.

As a character, Meg is a bit of a blank slate.  She’s been enslaved her entire life, and a lot of her experiences in this book are ‘firsts.’  She’s putting intellectual knowledge together with real life, and sometimes it adds up to four, and sometimes to five.  That said, she has strong convictions, a moral sensibility that remains unshaken, and a way of making connections with those who would frighten anyone else.  It is this last quality that wins her a place in the Lakeside Courtyard, and that makes others so willing to fight for her.  While I liked Meg in this installment, I can’t wait to see what she’ll do next with more history and practical experience under her belt.   And please, PLEASE Ms. Bishop include a romantic plotline sometime soon (though i completely understand why there isn’t in this book. she’s just so new to making decisions!).

What really shines in this book?  The world building, the politics, and the community of Others.  Bishop has created an alternate New World peopled by terra indigene, paranormal creatures who view humans as interlopers and prey.  This makes for a skewed power balance, as humans are the minority population, and they depend on the Others for resources and, essentially, permission to live.  The politics of this, the working out of who lives and who dies and the whys and wherefores behind those decisions is absolutely fascinating.  Pair it with unscrupulous humans in control of a force of blood prophets, and portrayals of damaged and lonely people, and you have a setting fraught with tension and emotion.

In the midst of all of that, Meg and the rest of the characters grapple with fundamental questions of the human experience: What will fear lead you to do? What does kindness mean, and how is it experienced differently person to person?  What is the relationship between image and truth?  It is absolutely gripping reading.

If I have a quibble (and I don’t, really), it is that you get to know everyone and their motivations except for the villains.  This is another thing that further volumes in the series may address.  Do I really want to empathize even the tiniest bit with these bad guys?  No.  They’re all evil all the time.  So even my objection is a non-issue.  In case I didn’t bring this home to you before, Written in Red is excellent. Read it!  And please ignore that cover art.  Okay, I’m done.

Recommended for: fans of Emma Bull, Wen Spencer and Michelle Sagara, and those who like fantasy books full of issues, tension, and unforgettable world building.