House of the Star, by Caitlin Brennan

House of the Star, by Caitlin Brennan, aka Judith Tarr, (2010, Tor, middle grade, 288 pages) is an absolutely must-read book for any young girl who likes horses and fantasy. It was written with that audience in mind, and succeeds beautifully.

Elen has always dreamed of being chosen to ride a worldrunner--one of the horses who can travel the path between the worlds. But she's a princes of the world of Ymbria, as well as being a horse-loving girl, and she's not sure how it's going to happen.

When her chance does come to go to the House of the Star, a ranch on earth (in Arizona, to be more specific) where the worldrunners are bred and their riders are trained, it comes with a pretty steep price. Ymbria has been at war for years with another world, Caledon, and among the other young recruits in Elen's cohert there will be a member of the Caledonian royal family. Elen is convinced that political matchmaking is behind it all, and the thought is so abhorrent that she decides to run away from home, along the world road to a far off land of green grass (and lots of horses).

But without a worldrunner to ride, Elen finds the road far more perilous than she had imagined....it's only the unlooked for arrival of Bianca, one of the magical horses, that saves her.

When Bianca takes a protesting Elen to the House of the Star, Elen finds that the war between Ymbria and Caledon is threatening the fabric of the whole road--it is beginning to crumble into a maelstrom of fairy magic. The Horned King has threatened to interdict her planet, and the worldrunners are finding it ever more difficult to survive the chaotic creatures that are besetting the road.

Elen must find it in herself to make peace with her Caledonian counterpart, and end the war. But she's not ready to put her anger aside, until the beautiful horses themselves come under threat.

Elen's by no means a stereotypical princess--she's willing to muck out stalls, for instance! And she's stubborn, sometimes to the point where the reader wants to shake her a tad. But she's all the more believable for this, and it makes her gradual acceptance that peace might be possible all the more compelling.

As Judith Tarr, the author wrote "Writing Horses: The Fine Art of Getting it Right". Her expertise is front and center here--and it's always nice when the competencies of the writer come through in the small details of a book, adding credibility and richness to the story.

Skewed slightly younger than Robin McKinley's The Blue Sword, the classic horse fantasy, this is one that should utterly delight its target audience. Full of beautiful horses, dark magic, and escalating tension, it pleased me lots too! In particular, I'm always a sucker for a nicely nuanced Horned Lord.

Although, in the interests of full disclosure, I'm not, myself, a horse crazy girl anymore, and for this to be the perfect book for me it needed to have a bit of romance, which it doesn't have. Not the book's fault, of course, but this is the main reason why this falls into middle grade, despite the heroine being a teenager. Incidentally, both Amazon and my library system have it as YA, but the publisher says "Grade Range: 4 to 8, Age Range: 8 to 12." I myself say "10-14." Or possibly "9-13." Something like that, at any rate.

(Based on the description of Elen in the book as brown skinned and dark haired, which is (more or less) corroborated by the cover (or at least not egregiously contradicted by the cover), this one gets a place in my multicultural sci fi/fantasy list).

Alien Invasion and Other Inconveniences, by Brian Yansky

Alien Invasion and Other Inconveniences, by Brian Yansky (Candlewick, 2010, YA, 227 pages)

Jesse was an ordinary teenager, neither a follower or a leader, just sitting in class learning about the Great Depression, when every single other person in his classroom dropped dead. They were terminated by alien invaders.

But Jesse isn't killed. Instead, he hears a voice inside his head: "You are one of the few product who can hear. Congratulations." (p 2) Which means that Jesse is now a slave of Lord Vertenomous, who's just claimed earth for the Republic of Sanginia.

Unfortunately for Lord Vertenomous, Jesse isn't the sort to just sit back and accept life as a "product." Contact with the alien minds is awaking abilities inside him, and together with four other captured teenagers, Jesse begins to think about escape and resistance.

It's hard to escape psychic alien overlords who can kill you with a thought. But Jesse and his gang--Michael, the football player, Lindsey, the wanna-be model, Lauren, the activist girl, and Catlin, the fey girl used by Vertenomous as his mistress--aren't going to take no for an answer.

It's a wild page-turner of a book. The 10-second victory of the aliens plunges the reader (and of course the characters) into a nightmare, but Yansky writes with a lightness of touch, and even wry humor, about the unthinkable (the title's a good indication of his tone). He skates lightly over the utterly unspeakable tragedy that his protagonists are experiencing, and although this at times didn't ring true to me (the lack of attention to the horrors of Catlin's situation, in particular, troubled me more than somewhat), one can imagine that if the characters themselves stopped and actually thought too much about it all, they'd just collapse. And yet he doesn't pull his punches, either--there are moments of savage violence that bring home the reality of life as "product" who can be killed at a moment's notice.

At times he strays a tad far, I thought, toward farce (for instance with the alien professor of human studies, whose enthusiasm far exceeds his grasp of his subject), but this is balanced by more serious and heartfelt moments, such as Jesse's dreams of his dead father. And further depth is added by the understated but very present parallel to the European invasion of the Americas.

If you are looking for an alien invasion story with intense characterization and gritty reality, you'd be better off going with Pod, by Stephen Wallenfels (my review). But if you prefer your dastardly alien invaders on the lighter side, with more conscious humor, this is the book for you!

(disclaimer: copy received from the author)

Wildwing, by Emily Whitman, for Timeslip Tuesday

I quite often find books I wish I'd read when I was nine or ten. It's not nearly as common (why?) to find books I wish I'd had on hand when I was thirteen. Wildwing, by Emily Whitman (2010, YA) is one of those rare books--I would have utterly adored it. Utterly. The medieval-ness! the romance (which, although mild by YA standards, has its moments of steam)! the falconry! the pretty dresses! And even the jaded, cynical me of today enjoyed it lots, in a pleasant sort of way.

Life in early 20th-century England is not being kind to young Addy. She's bitter at being forced to leave school to take a job as a maid, and she's raw from the taunts of her school-mates who scorn her both for her poverty and for having an unknown father. Her new position isn't all bad--she's working for an absent-minded inventor, who pulls himself out of his shell of grief (dead wife and son) enough to discuss Shakespeare with her, and she gets to live at her own home. But her mother soon decides she'd be better off in a live-in situation--and Addy, contemplating a future of hard labor and few opportunities, becomes desperate to escape.

And one of her employee's inventions provides the perfect way to do so. Addy discovers it is a time machine, and passes through it into the Middle Ages. In a huge stroke of luck (for Addy at any rate) her arrival coincides with the sinking of a ship that was bringing the Lady Matilda to the castle whose lord she was shortly to marry. And Addy, discovered standing on the shore amid the wreckage, with Matilda's jeweled cross in her hands, finds she has a rather nice little place for herself in this new reality.

No longer the object of anyone's scorn, she revels in her new found status. And even more so, she delights in her growing friendship with Will, the handsome young falconer. With her intended husband away from home, it's easy not to think about what the future might hold. Especially when out flying falcons with Will...

But life as a medieval lady comes with a price. "Matilda" must marry the lord of the castle; if she does not, blood will be shed and innocent people will suffer. Gradually Addy begins to realize that status and luxury aren't the most important things in life after all....

So, as I said above, it's a book I would have loved at the height of my unicorn phase back in the day. I would have thought Addy and Will's romance just as swoonworthy as all get out, and sympathized tons with Addy's growing realization that life in the past isn't all wish fulfillment, and that her actions might have serious consequences for others. The build-up of political tension leads to a nice ratcheting up of the suspense as the story progresses, moving the focus away from Addy's preoccupation with herself, to larger issues. (And something else very interesting happened toward the end that would be a spoiler to mention, but which I appreciated as a reader).

And, as I also said above, it was a pleasant read for me today, but it didn't quite cross-over into the territory of books with which I form a deep and visceral connection. This is, I think, because Addy's story is a fantasy of a middle ages that never was. It requires a lot of suspension of disbelief to accept her easy adjustment into the role of Matilda (I am, however, perfectly willing to accept the happy opportunity of Matilda's shipwreck, unlikely though that is--that's just what happens). It was also hard for me to believe that she would be able to forge her relationship with Will. There is a lot of vivid historical detail, but still Whitman, as she makes clear in her author's note, knew very well she was sacrificing historical accuracy in the interests of story telling.

The result is just too easy. This is one of those nice, sanitary middle ages where the time traveller can understand the language and everything is more or less logical (as opposed, say, to the middle ages of Connie Willis' Doomsday Book). And because I couldn't quite believe in this medieval world, I never quite believed (until things heated up toward the end) that it was much more than a dream, in which there was little consequence to anything anyone did.

Still, if you have a thirteen year old girl around who dreams of tapestries and lords and ladies riding out with falcons on their arms....do them a favor and give them this book! They will thank you.

Other thoughts at Stacked, The Story Siren, Tempting Persephone, and Ezine of a Random Girl

Here's the list of nominees for the Andre Norton Award for Young Adult Science Fiction and Fantasy

The lists of nominees for the Nebula Awards have been announced; here are the books in contention for the Andre Norton Award, given for "young adult" books:

• Ship Breaker, Paolo Bacigalupi (Little, Brown)
• White Cat, Holly Black (McElderry)
• Mockingjay, Suzanne Collins (Scholastic Press; Scholastic UK)
• Hereville: How Mirka Got Her Sword, Barry Deutsch (Amulet)
• The Boy from Ilysies, Pearl North (Tor Teen)
• I Shall Wear Midnight, Terry Pratchett (Gollancz; Harper)
• A Conspiracy of Kings, Megan Whalen Turner (Greenwillow)
• Behemoth, Scott Westerfeld (Simon Pulse; Simon & Schuster UK)

What a list! What awesome books! What a nice mix!

The Boy from Ilysies is the only one I haven't read, but I quickly hurried over to Amazon where it was sitting in my shopping cart to place my order....

And here, just for the heck of it, are the "adult" titles:

• The Native Star, M.K. Hobson (Spectra)
• The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, N.K. Jemisin (Orbit UK; Orbit US)
• Shades of Milk and Honey, Mary Robinette Kowal (Tor)
• Echo, Jack McDevitt (Ace)
• Who Fears Death, Nnedi Okorafor (DAW)
• Blackout/All Clear, Connie Willis (Spectra)

I find it interesting that they are considering the Connie Willis books as a single entity. This is the only one I've read from this list, although several of the others are on my hideously engorged TBR list....

Tortilla Sun, by Jennifer Cervantes

After my last fiction review, of a book of a much more, um, mature type than I usually read (Bleeding Violet, a book I liked, but which sure wasn't middle grade), it is with a sense of peaceful composure that I sit down to write about Tortilla Sun, by Jennifer Cervantes (Chronicle Books, 2010, middle grade, 218 pages)

12-year-old Izzy has been sent off unexpectedly to spend the summer with her grandmother in New Mexico, where she has never been before, while her mother heads off to Costa Rica to do her own research. She takes with her the baseball she had found just before her mother broke the news-- an old baseball, tucked away in box, with faded words written on it--"Because....magic." Izzy is pretty sure the ball belonged to her father, who died before she was born, but her mom won't talk about him at all.

That summer in New Mexico, Izzy not only finds a place for herself in the love of her grandmother's home, but she finds as well the story of her father and mother, and the tragic end of their love for each other. And helping her find this story is her father himself, calling to her on the wind....

This is a book that makes pictures in the mind--of patches of shade in a hot sunny place, of cool walls with high windows to let in the starlight, places lived in by people who care for each other. And I'm a sucker for books that give me beautiful bedrooms:

"A tall four-poster bed stood at the center of the room. Creamy gauze curtain hung loosely around the edges. At the foot of the bed lay a light blue blanket threaded with lemon yellow that matched the blue swirls layering the walls. Two French doors opened to a walled courtyard with a brightly painted yellow and purple fountain.

"It's so ... so colorful," I said with a hint of surprise.

Nana laughed and leaned against one of the bedposts. "But of course it's colorful. Life is color, isn't it?" (page 31)

Nana's small village is filled with life--with the entwined stories of those who live in this close knit community, and Cervantes' writing is similarly rich with loving descriptions of all the foods, and fabrics, and beliefs and customs that make up their daily lives. It is a book full of things that pulled at my heart, and things that made me laugh. Perhaps it is a bit unbelievably Utopian--it's a place where people aren't pigeon-holed because they are Hispanic (like Izzy's mom) or not (like her dad); where even though people don't have much money, they don't suffer in consequence-- but heck, that makes it an awfully nice place to spend one's reading time.

And it's not at all cloying--Izzy is vividly alive with the twitchy energy of growing up and pushing back a bit at life and figuring out her place in the scheme of things. I liked her lots, and not just because she wants to be a writer--one of the sources of her frustration is her struggle to make her words into stories (which is one of the many metaphors (yay for metaphors) that can be found here!).

Finally, it is awfully nice when a cover matches a book so beautifully. If you like this cover, you will like this book. It was also nice having it's lovely cheerfulness out and about during our most recent spat of grey February weather.

There are things in this story that are magic; things far beyond the quotidian that infuse Izzy's experiences with mystery. I'm a bit torn--on the one hand, I want very much to put the label "fantasy" on this post, so that I can include Izzy's story in my list of multicultural fantasy, and because I think that readers who like the subtle type of fantasy where magical-ness overlaps with the everyday world as part of the natural order of things, will be the readers that like this book best. But on the other hand, the magic so overlaps with the real in this case that "fantasy" isn't the right word--"magical realism" is a better fit, and I don't have a label for that, and I don't want to have to decide which books are what. Sigh. Labels are vexing.

ps. I've decided that putting "fantasy" in the label section is the best way to share with others that I like this book; it will get lost in the morass of my blog otherwise. So I did.

pps. and then I went back and labeled it magical realism too.

Here are some other thoughts, at Readergirlz, The Mother Daughter Book Club, Elizabeth Varadan's Fourth Wish, and The HappyNappyBookseller.

Digging for Troy, by Jill Rubalcaba and Eric H. Cline, for Non-fiction Monday

Jill Rubalcaba is no stranger to writing non-fiction about the distant past--her books cover hominin discoveries (Every Bone Tells a Story) and the more recent ancient times of the Mayan and Egyptian empires.

Digging for Troy: From Homer to Hisarlik (Charlesbridge, 2011) co-written a classisist, Eric H. Cline, Rubalcaba sets her sites on Homer's Troy. Her concern is not so much the story of the Trojan War, although she does retell that story by way of introduction (and very well she does this--this is one of the best Trojan War retellings for kids I've read). Instead, Rublacaba focuses on the history of the archaeological search for Troy, from Schliemann in the 19th century, through the various digs of the 20th.

"Schliemann spun dramatic stories about his search for Troy around Homer's battles and the heroes who had fought them. If he found a cup, then Achilles must have drunk from it; if he found an earring, then Helen must have worn it. But nothing would make Schliemann as truly unforgettable as what happened next. On May 31, 1873, Schliemann discovered treasure." (page 32)

It's a fascinating look at how archaeological evidence can be interpreted in various ways depending on the expertise, and the agenda, of the archaeologist. As each archaeological expedition progressed, more and more information about the various occupations of the site was uncovered, and Rubalcba explains how the story of the many "Troys" that are found at the place now called Hisarlik evolved over time.

Being an archaeologist myself, I would have appreciated more illustrations of the actual artifacts--I think there's nothing like artifacts for making the past come alive, and I found the book curiously skimpy in that regard. And I would have liked to have been told what happened to "Priam's treasure," the rich cache of artifacts that included the jewelry with which Schliemann's wife was famously bedecked. The bulk of it disappeared from a German bunker in WW II, and turned up in 1993 in the Pushkin Museum in Moscow, where it remains to this day.

This would make a great book to read while exploring the Greek myths--there are so many fascinating lines of discussion that it raises, from the mutable nature of "scientific evidence" to the historical basis for many myths.

Here's some of the treasure in its modern setting at the Pushkin Museum. I wouldn't mind trying it on myself!

And in that vein, a lovely companion to this book, that similarly deals with the trickiness of archaeological interpretations of material culture is Motel of the Mysteries, by David Macaulay. At right is my favorite illustration from that book! In case you can't read the writing on the headband, it says "Sanitized for your pro...."

Today's Non-fiction Monday Round Up is at Three Turtles and Their Pet Librarian.
(disclaimer: review copy of Digging for Troy received from the publisher)

Bleeding Violet, by Dia Reeves

Today Ari, Edi, and Doret are hosting an African American Read In, discussing Bleeding Violet, by Dia Reeves (2010, Simon Pulse, YA, 454 pages). I'd been meaning to read this one for ages, so I was glad of the push to finally do so!

One dark night, Hanna, accompanied by the ghost of her dead father, shows up at her mother's door in a small town in Texas, having just brained her aunt with a rolling pin. Hanna has never met her mother before, and showing up with her aunt's blood on her hands isn't the best way to start a new relationship, especially since it's one her mother doesn't want.

(If you ask me, it's not the best way to start a relationship with the reader, either, but Hanna grew on me--she's insane (literally), smart-assed, pushy, and needy, but still a character to cheer for).

Yes, Hanna is nuts, less so when she takes her meds. But soon she finds out that this small Texas town is even more so, it being the sort of place where hideously dark and deadly monstrous beings (and some that aren't deadly but just gross) beset the townsfolk on all sides. Some of the townsfolk, including one particularly cute high school boy, Wyatt, are part of an order of safekeeping killers of the bad things, a gang of protectors for whom "mercy" is a foreign concept (they are serious slayers).

Hanna turns out to fit right in in the madness of her new home, but it's a place in her mother's heart that she really craves. And there are some serious stumbling blocks, both of supernatural and more generically human, standing in the way.

There are no Rainbow Unicorns in this book. There's bad language, nasty stuff (I don't think I'd ever be able to slice strips of flesh off the leg of my boyfriend's father to throw to the monster trying to eat him, even if this ultimately is a successful tactic), and there's quite a bit of sex, in bathroom, bedroom, and back of car.

And that's not the sort of book I generally like. Yet somehow I did like this one! It took me a few false starts, but once I was past page 100 I was hooked.

There is humor (I laughed out loud several times), and there's a huge energy in Reeves' portrayal of this seriously messed up town. Her wild and wacky imagination, her over the top strange people and circumstances enchanted me in a blood soaked kind of way (although I could have used less blood. I think about half as much blood would have been plenty--it seemed like the second half of the book, ever other page there was blood or wounds or what have you. Sometimes less blood is more). The story also made Sense--there was a logical progression to it all that allowed me to accept the whacky-ness.

Further depth to the story comes from the fact that Hanna is half black, and half Finnish. Growing up as a black kid in Finland with a white dad didn't exactly give her a confident sense of her identity; now, with her sexy mom in Texas (whom she strongly resembles) she has a chance to try a new identity.

But most importantly, in terms of me ultimately enjoying the book (which is an important aspect of any story), Hanna's a character that one (ie me) with whom one can make an emotional connection. Her relationship with her mother is painful, but it's rewarding to watch the two very similar personalities warming to each other. On the other hand, her relationship with Wyatt was interesting to read about, but didn't move me particularly.

In short--a book I enjoyed more than I think I really should have, knowing my reading tastes as I do, which is a credit to Reeves' snappy prose!

However, I am left with a burning question, that happily for me is one on the table for today's discussion--what is up with the swans?

Ari has the discussion up at her blog, if you want to stop by!

This Sunday's round-up of middle-grade science fiction and fantasy book releated posts from around the blogs

Hi, and welcome to another week of my gleanings vs mg sff books from around the blogging world. Let me know if I missed yours, and feel free to let me know at anytime during the week if you have a post you'd like included, or if you've seen a good one! (Authors and publishers, I mean you too).

The point of this exercise is to make it easier for readers to find reviews of mg sff, which tend to be very scattered around the bloggosphere (bloggisphere?), and also a lot more thin on the ground than reviews of picture books on the one hand, and YA books on the other hand. I did some serious google work this morning, looking reviews of new releases of mg sff, and came up with no additional posts. I couldn't, for instance, find any reviews of The Freedom Stone, by Jeffrey Kluger, Enter the Zombie, by David Lubar, or The Secret Zoo: Secrets and Shadows, by Bryan Chick. *

But on with what I did find.

First, congratulations to The Shadows (The Books of Elsewhere, 1), the winner of the Cybils Award in middle grade sff! The sequel comes out this summer, and I can't wait for it!

The Reviews:

Brigitta of the White Forest, by Danika Dinsmore, at Charlotte's Library

The Children of Green Knowe, by L.M. Boston, at Stella Matutina

Dealing With Dragons, by Patricia Wrede, at The Blue Fairy's Bookself

The End of the World Club, by J & P Voelkel, at Books and Other Thoughts

The Farthest-Away Mountain, by Lynne Reid Banks, at The Blue Fairy's Bookshelf

Fever Crumb, by Philip Reeve, at books4yourkids

The Folk Keeper, by Fanny Billingsley, at Charlotte's Library

The Girl Who Could Fly, by Victoria Forester, at Shannon Whitney Messenger

Inkspell, by Cornelia Funke, at Musings of a Book Addict (guest student review)

Leviathan, by Scott Westerfeld, at Challenging the Bookworm

No Passengers Beyond this Point, by Gennifer Choldenko, at Waking Brain Cells

The Ranger's Apprentice Series, by John Flanagan, at YA Bibliophile

The Search for WondLa, by Tony Diterizzi, at TheHappyNappyBookseller

The Secret of Zoom, by Lynne Jonell, at Mister K Reads

The Shadows, by Jacqueline West, at One Librarian's Book Reviews and books4yourkids

Small Persons With Wings, by Ellen Booraem, at Charlotte's Library

Swept Away (The Secret of the Unicorn Queen, Book 1) by Gwen Hansen, at The Blue Fairy's Bookshelf, and book 2 of the series, Sunblind, also at The Blue Fairy's Bookshelf

Timeriders: The Doomsday Code, by Alex Scarrow, at The Book Zone (for Boys)

The True Meaning of Smekday (audiobook edition) by Adam Rex, at Book Nut.

The Weaver, by Kai Strand, at Welcome to All-Consuming Books

The Interviews:

An interview with Rebecca Stead at Bookwitch (When You Reach Me was released fairly recently over there in the UK)

Matthew Kirby (The Clockwork Three) at MP Flory

Hélène Boudreau (Real Mermaids Don't Wear Toe Rings) at Write On!

Other Good Stuff:

Thoughts on Middle Grade vs Young Adult fantasy, with some choice examples of the former, at The First Gates.

At The Spectacle, Kimberley Griffiths Little talks about magical realism (a subject that I find fascinating as I able, or not, the label "fantasy" to the books I review). You can also enter to win a copy of her book, The Healing Spell, which I didn't realize has magical elements...even if I, myself, don't win, I'll be looking for it.

Katherine Langrish has wrapped up her lovely Fairy Tale Reflection series with a post of her own, at Seven Miles of Steel Thistles (and by way of thanking her for all the wonderful reading this series offered, I wanted to mention the imminent release of all three of her "Troll" books in one volume, entitled West of the Moon).

I don't generally post about movie news, but this is so germane to the subject at hand I can't help it. Two middle grade fantasies by Eva Ibbotson books are headed for the big screen:

More information can be found at Bookyurt.

And finally, HarperCollins has a pretty neat program up and running (that you've probably already heard of) called Inkpop. It includes Weekly Writing Challenges; this week's challenge coincides with Courtney Allison Moulton's Angelfire. This isn't a mg book, which, since Inkpop is aimed at YA readers, isn't surprising, but maybe one week a mg book will be picked!


And even more finally, some of you who follow me in a reader might have seen a false start for this post; I just wanted to share the new paperback cover (left) for a book I liked lots, but whose original cover I found utterly incomprehensible: The Unnameables, by Ellen Booraem.

*Of course, I haven't reviewed these particular books myself...mainly because I don't have copies, and I am trying really hard to read the books I do have copies of (this isn't going so well. Sigh.)

New releases of fantasy and science fiction for kids and teens, the second half of Feb, 2011 edition

This list of new releases from the second half of February is much more manageable than the one from the first half of February (thank goodness)! As usual, my information comes from Teens Read Too, the blurbs come from Amazon and Goodreads (since I haven't read the books, I can't write my own), and the decision to put the books in this list comes from me--several of the middle grade books might well not be considered fantasy by those that have read them! (But I've always considered The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place fantasy...)

The Middle-Grade Books (ages 9-12)


RIO by Lexa Hillyer. "Blu, a rare blue Spix's Macaw, has everything he needs—heart, attitude . . . feathers—but he's afraid he may never soar. That's all about to change in the magical city of Rio, where Blu has incredible adventures and makes new friends who show Blu he's always had what it takes to make his dreams come true."

THE BLACK BOX: A CASSANDRA VIRUS NOVELby K. V. Johansen "Something is cutting off Spohrville's communication with the outside world. The phones don't work. There's no radio, no TV -- no internet. Are eco-terrorists trying to shut down the Mars Relay satellite? That's what the government says, but Jordan and Helen and the sentient virtual supercomputer Cassandra don't believe a word of it. The town is overrun with "birdwatchers" who can't tell a hawk from a heron. Jordan's old enemy, Harvey Number Two of the spy agency Bureau 6, is sneaking around pretending to be a cop on holiday. And archaeologist Uncle William has dug up a very strange black rock while excavating an Acadian settlement. With no land-lines to the site of the dig and wireless communication impossible, Jordan and Helen have no back-up from Cassandra. They've taken on corrupt government agents and industrial spies before, but they've always had Cassandra behind them. It's the twenty-first century. The bad guys have night-vision goggles and interference triangulators. How did Jordan and Helen get stuck with a bunch of musket-toting historical re-enactors as their only allies?"

THE COLOSSAL FOSSIL FREAKOUT: SPLURCH ACADEMY FOR DISRUPTIVE BOYS by Julie Gardner Berry & Sally Faye Gardner "Headmaster Farley's back and he's ready for revenge, but an unexpected visit from his estranged sister brings monstrous results as she takes over Splurch Academy. Forced to retreat to his laboratory, he hatches a plan to reclaim the school. Meanwhile, Cody Mack and the other boys are pitted against their new classmates--the girls of Priscilla Prim Academy for Precious and Proper Young Ladies."

THE HIDDEN GALLERY: THE INCORRIGIBLE CHILDREN OF ASHTON PLACE by Maryrose Wood "Of especially naughty children it is sometimes said, "They must have been raised by wolves."

The Incorrigible children actually were. Thanks to the efforts of Miss Penelope Lumley, their plucky governess, Alexander, Beowulf, and Cassiopeia are much more like children than wolf pups now. They are accustomed to wearing clothes. They hardly ever howl at the moon. And for the most part, they resist the urge to chase squirrels up trees.

Despite Penelope's civilizing influence, the Incorrigibles still managed to ruin Lady Constance's Christmas ball, nearly destroying the grand house. So while Ashton Place is being restored, Penelope, the Ashtons, and the children take up residence in London. Penelope is thrilled, as London offers so many opportunities to further the education of her unique students. But the city presents challenges, too, in the form of the palace guards' bearskin hats, which drive the children wild—not to mention the abundance of pigeons the Incorrigibles love to hunt. As they explore London, however, they discover more about themselves as clues about the children's—and Penelope's—mysterious past crop up in the most unexpected ways. . . ."

KINGDOM OF TROLLS by Rae Bridgman. "Spin Wil's black medallion - and you'll find the medallion's silver arrow and triangle turn into a five-pointed star. With each new adventure, another tiny gold symbol glimmers on the magical medallion. What do the symbols mean? All cousins Wil and Sophie know is that an ancient and nasty secret society - none other than the Serpent's Chain - wants its black medallion back. A prize trip to Iceland, land of history, danger, and galdur - magic - sends Wil and Sophie on another quest to unravel the mystery of the Serpent's Chain. Meanwhile, someone is tampering with fortune-telling crystal balls and their friend Mr. Bertram has been imprisoned, falsely accused of murder and the theft of a precious manuscript. When the cousins are captured by trolls, it looks like they and their adventures might end up in the soup!"

THE TIME TUNNEL: A STORY FOR ALL AGES by Donald Walters, "While exploring in Rumania, two boys discover a ruined laboratory with a mysterious tunnel. Entering, their bodies shrink. They emerge into a beautiful countryside and meet Hansel, whose father invented the time-tunnel. Hansel shows the boys how to encase themselves in time-light spheres. The trio journeys through time, visiting the Middle Ages, ancient Greece and Egypt, and forward into a surprising future. Along the way the boys gain valuable lessons about history and human behavior."

WE ARE NOT EATEN BY YAKS: AN ACCIDENTAL ADVENTURE by C. Alexander London "Eleven-year-old twins Oliver and Celia Navel do not like adventures--in fact, they would have preferred it if they had been left out of this story altogether. But, alas, they had no choice in the matter. Unfortunately for the twins, they live on the 4-1/2th floor of the Explorers Club with their parents who are world-famous adventurers and daredevils, and so have been dragged from continent to continent their entire lives. Even worse, their mother has gone missing, and their father has bet the evil Sir Edmund S. Tithletorpe-Schmidt III that he'll find her and make one of the greatest discoveries in history. And the stakes of his bet? Oliver and Celia will be his servants until they graduate from high school. Which, when you have only just finished fifth grade, is a long way off. So, the twins must give up their summer of television and head to Tibet where they fall out of airplanes, battle Yetis, discover secret caves, fly over waterfalls, and ride one very large yak. If they can survive their ordeal, if they can decipher the clues, and if they can outwit Sir Edmund, they might just reunite their family, save the world . . . and get cable television. We shall hope, for their sake, that they do."

The Young Adult Books (ages 12 and up)

ANGELS AND HUNTERS: THE STOKER SISTERS by Kailin Gow. "Torn... Between two sisters...mere rivalry has become deadly. Between two loves...one will be the key to redemption, the other will destroy them. The battle has begun... Angels and Hunters."


DARKEST MERCY: WICKED LOVELY by Melissa Marr "The Summer King is missing; the Dark Court is bleeding; and a stranger walks the streets of Huntsdale, his presence signifying the deaths of powerful fey.

Aislinn tends to the Summer Court, searching for her absent king and yearning for Seth. Torn between his new queen and his old love, Keenan works from afar to strengthen his court against the coming war. Donia longs for fiery passion even as she coolly readies the Winter Court for battle. And Seth, sworn brother of the Dark King and heir to the High Queen, is about to make a mistake that could cost his life.

Love, despair, and betrayal ignite the Faery Courts, and in the final conflict, some will win . . . and some will lose everything."

DARKNESS BECOMES HER by Kelly Keaton "Ari can’t help feeling lost and alone. With teal eyes and freakish silver hair that can’t be changed or destroyed, Ari has always stood out. And after growing up in foster care, she longs for some understanding of where she came from and who she is.

Her search for answers uncovers just one message from her long dead mother: Run. Ari can sense that someone, or something, is getting closer than they should. But it’s impossible to protect herself when she doesn’t know what she’s running from or why she is being pursued.

She knows only one thing: she must return to her birthplace of New 2, the lush rebuilt city of New Orleans. Upon arriving, she discovers that New 2 is very...different. Here, Ari is seemingly normal. But every creature she encounters, no matter how deadly or horrifying, is afraid of her.

Ari won’t stop until she knows why. But some truths are too haunting, too terrifying, to ever be revealed."

FROST KISSES: FROST by Kailin Gow (sorry-couldn't find a blurb)

HAVEN by Kristi Cook "One month into her junior year, sixteen-year-old Violet McKenna transfers to the Winterhaven School in New York’s Hudson Valley, inexplicably drawn to the boarding school with high hopes. Leaving Atlanta behind, she’s looking forward to a fresh start--a new school, and new classmates who will not know her deepest, darkest secret, the one she’s tried to hide all her life: strange, foreboding visions of the future.

But Winterhaven has secrets of its own, secrets that run far deeper than Violet’s. Everyone there--every student, every teacher--has psychic abilities, 'gifts and talents,' they like to call them. Once the initial shock of discovery wears off, Violet realizes that the school is a safe haven for people like her. Soon, Violet has a new circle of friends, a new life, and maybe even a boyfriend--Aidan Gray, perhaps the smartest, hottest guy at Winterhaven.

Only there’s more to Aidan than meets the eye--much, much more. And once she learns the horrible truth, there’s no turning back from her destiny. Their destiny. Together, Violet and Aidan must face a common enemy--if only they can do so without destroying each other first."

THE IRON THORN: THE IRON CODEX by Caitlin Kittredge "In the city of Lovecraft, the Proctors rule and a great Engine turns below the streets, grinding any resistance to their order to dust. The necrovirus is blamed for Lovecraft's epidemic of madness, for the strange and eldritch creatures that roam the streets after dark, and for everything that the city leaders deem Heretical—born of the belief in magic and witchcraft. And for Aoife Grayson, her time is growing shorter by the day.
Aoife Grayson's family is unique, in the worst way—every one of them, including her mother and her elder brother Conrad, has gone mad on their 16th birthday. And now, a ward of the state, and one of the only female students at the School of Engines, she is trying to pretend that her fate can be different."

RESOLVE: WICKED LOVELY, DESERT TALES by Melissa Marr "The conclusion of Melissa Marr's manga series set in the world of her bestselling Wicked Lovely novels!

Hidden away from the concerns of the faery and mortal worlds, Rika has treasured the solitude of the desert. But now a threat imperils her desert home—and as a new romance blossoms, so does Rika's determination to face that threat head-on. The time for hiding is over."

TORTALL AND OTHER LANDS: A COLLECTION OF TALES by Tamora Pierce "Collected here for the first time are all of the tales from the land of Tortall, featuring both previously unknown characters as well as old friends. Filling some gaps of time and interest, these stories, some of which have been published before, will lead Tammy's fans, and new readers into one of the most intricately constructed worlds of modern fantasy."

A TOUCH MORTAL by Leah Clifford. "Eden didn't expect Az. Not his saunter down the beach toward her. Not his unbelievable pick up line. Not the instant, undeniable connection. And not his wings. Yeah. So long happily-ever-after. Now trapped between life and death, cursed to spread chaos with her every touch, Eden could be the key in the eternal struggle between heaven and hell. All because she gave her heart to one of the Fallen, an angel cast out of heaven. She may lose everything she ever had. She may be betrayed by those she loves most. But Eden will not be a pawn in anyone else's game. Her heart is her own. And that's only the beginning of the end.

UNNATURAL: ARCHANGEL ACADEMY by Michael Griffo "Michael Howard and Ronan Glynn-Rowley meet at Archangel Academy, an all-boys school in Eden, a rural town in north western England. Both are outcasts and decried as unnatural, Michael because he's gay, and Ronan because he's a hybrid vampire. But when Ronan, afraid to reveal his true self to Michael, turns him into a vampire against his will, both become drawn into a dangerous new world, where traditional vampires plot to destroy hybrids, and where fellow students, teachers, even their own families have unexpected secrets..."

For those who have asked--Activities to go along with The Green Book, by Jill Paton Walsh

Actually, it was only one person who found me by doing a google search on "activities for the green book by jill patton walsh," but just one person is enough to make me want to be Helpful.

The Green Book, for those who haven't read it, tells of a colonising expedition to a planet where life is silicon based. When all their crops start turning glassy, and their rabbits die from eating the grass, it's not clear at all whether the new colonists will make it....It's a great book, and here's my full review.

Activity One:

Each colonist gets to take only one book. Pick your book. Read it over and over again. Bonus points if you can find a copy of The Pony Club Rides Again.

Activity Two:

Research what happens when people eat ground glass. Do not try feeding it to your rabbit.

Activity Three:

Dig a garden patch in your back yard, preferably in New England to maximize stone moving fun. Stone moving can be repeated every spring.

Activity Four:

Get blank book with a green cover. Write a story in it. Call your story "The Green Book." Daring children could experiment with other colors.

Apologies to the original poser of the question--if you come back, do let me know if you thought of any more, um, activity-esque activities!

The Folk Keeper, by Fanny Billingsley

The Folk Keeper, by Fanny Billingsley (Simon and Schuster, 1999, upper mg/YA, 162 pages)

Only boys can be Folk Keepers, those who tend to the hunger of the Folk and keep them safely subterranian, so that they don't wreck unchecked havoc on human affairs. So Corinna, seeing the role of Folk Keeper as a better one than Floor Scrubber, disgused herself as a boy, and made a place for herself down in the celler of the Rysbridge Home for orphans, recording in her diary the record of her keeping.

"February 2--Candlemas

It is a day of yellow fog, and the Fold are hungry. They ate the lamb I grought them, picking hte bones clean and leaving them outside the Folk Door.

The lamb was meant for Matron's Sunday supper. She'll know I took it, but she will not dare say anything. She can keep her tapestreis and silks adn Sunday dinners. Here in the Cellar, I control the Folk. Here, I'm queen of the world."

But then the tenor of Corinna's world is shattered when she summoned by Lord Merton to be the Folk Keeper on his grand estate, on an island miles away. It's not by chance that Lord Merton sought Corinna out. He knows something about her....a secret that he soon takes to his grave. And Corinna, charged with keeping quiet more of the Folk then she's ever dealt with before, and caught up in a power struggle between the lord's heir, a young man named Finian, and a distant cousin who wants the estate for himself, has little time for speculation. But when it begins to seem as though someone wants her out of the way, forever, she begins to unravel the mystery of her past, discovering secrets that she had never dreamt about in a world where the fey are all too real, the bones of the last keeper lie moldering in the cellar, and the sea pulls on her heart.

(All is not danger and darkness--the young heir to the house becomes her friend, seeming to see through her disguise to the real Corinna within....and there's a happy ending).

Corinna is a fiercely independent heroine--smart, and fierce, and determined as all get out. Pitted against not just the hungry Folk, but human machinations, she almost meets her match...but her stubbornness stands her in good stead. But there is much more to her character than fierceness. Her conversations with Finian, faithfully recorded in her journal, show her more reflective, emotional side, buried deep under layers of survival instinct, gradually coming to the surface...

The Folk Keeper is a paranormal romance, written well before vampires etc burst into the YA literary scene, and it's subtle in its paranormalcy (one doesn't find out all until near the end, although one can guess quite early on), with the romance also not front and center (although it's a very nice romance based on friendship). It reminded me lots of Elizabeth Pope's The Perilous Gard-- a girl from "historical times" thrust into a mysterious situation involving powerful and hostile paranormal forces; and both books have a quality of real magic, dark and deep, that's hard to do justice too.
The Folk Keeper is much darker and stranger, and much more YA, than the cover would have you believe! Bloomsbury is reissuing this one (April 2011), and here is the new cover



Other reviews at Things Mean a Lot, The Scholar's Blog, and The Black Letters

Billingsley's newest book Chime (her third book) will be released in March. I'm looking forward to it! And I've added her first book, Well Wished, to my library holds list....

Small Persons With Wings, by Ellen Booraem

You'll notice that Small Persons With Wings, by Ellen Booraem (2011, Dial, middle grade, 302 pages) isn't called anything along the lines of Happy Flower Fairies of the Spring. S.P. with W. hate being called Fairies, and will express their displeasure in no uncertain terms.

13 year old Mellie Turpin has experienced this displeasure first hand. Until an ill-advised plan in kindergarten ended it, she shared her life with a S.P. with W.--but although he was willing to make her My Pretty Pony gallop around the room, he didn't want to be a show and tell exhibit. And so he took off, leaving Mellie to deal with the social fall out of having promised to bring a real live fairy to school.

And it was bad fallout; being dubbed "Fairy Fat" was the least of it.

So Mellie isn't unhappy when her grandfather's death means that she and her parents will move to the seaside town where he kept an inn, with plans of fixing the place up and selling it for great profit. Little does she know that the S.P. with W. are about to enter her life in full force, for Mellie's family history is intricately tied to the magic of the fairies. To her surprise, she learns that their magical way of life is under threat....the glamours they have been practicing are sapping their strength. The only way for them to survive is to turn back to an older magic, one based not on illusion but on skill. But there are those who reject that path....and though small, the Small People with Wings are formidable when crossed....and much mayhem results!

Initially I was unsure. Poor Mellie has it hard, and I was afraid that this might be a book where everything goes wrong in unhappy ad nauseum-ness. Happily, although many things did not go smoothly, to say the least, the light and zingy tone of Booraem's story telling kept me pleasantly diverted, and I was reminded of the sort of humour that permeates some of Diana Wynne Jones' books for kids.* And as is sometimes the case with DWJ, the characters here aren't always likable (at times I wanted to shake Mellie), and unpleasant things happen, but the power of the imagination and the verve of story carry the reader along swimmingly.

This is one I'm happy to recommend not only to its intended audience, but to grown-up readers as well. That being said, I'd say the intended audience here is upper middle grade on--it's not all fairy fun and games; Mellie has to cope with years of bullying and years of being taunted for being fat, not to mention having an alcoholic (dead?) grandfather who got turned into a clock. However, Mellie does have well-intentioned and supportive parents, which is a nice change, and she does (slightly unbelievably, given how prickly she is) make friends with a nice boy her own age....

Other thoughts at Eva's Book Addiction, Young Adult Books Central, and a nice long post over at Book Aunt.

And here's an interview with Booraem at Sarah Laurence Blog, and another at The Enchanted Inkpot.

*I'm not alone--Monica over at Educating Alice had the same thought

Brigitta of the White Forest, by Danika Dinsmore

Brigitta of the White Forest, by Danika Dinsmore (en theos press, 2011, middle grade, 211 pages) is a fairy book for those who are ready to leave behind those first fairy chapter books of the Rainbow Magic ilk, and move on to something more substantial. It's the story of how a faerie girl, Brigitta, must save her people when they are turned to stone by malevolent magic. Brigitta and her little sister, Himalette, are the only ones left still alive of their whole community, and so it is up to them to seek out Hrathgar, the only faerie who might be able to reverse the magic. But Hrathgar was cast out beyond the pall years in the past for working malevolent magic of her own, and she is probably the very one who cast the stone spell...

The two faerie sisters set out in the wild unknown, with only luck and courage to guide them...and Himalette's lively curiosity proving something of a handicap. Fortunately they enlist the help of a mysterious wise-woman and her giant rodent-esque companion, but can the be trusted, and will their help be enough to defeat Hrathgar? Especially when it turns out that Hrathgar is much more complex a force than they had reckoned with?

The greatest strength of the story is the relationship between the two sisters, with Brigitta constantly torn between concerned affection and exasperation--I'd particularly recommend this to readers with little sisters of their own! The story telling is full of small touches of world building that make it clear the story is set in an enchanted other-place; a veteran reader of fantasy might not find this world wildly original, but the young audience for whom it is intended should be fascinated by the munshmins, sand petals, shadowflys, and all manner of other curious plants and creatures. I myself liked the nice attention Dinsmore pays to the destiny markings that appear on faerie wings when they come of age. And the narrative flows smoothly and briskly, leading to an interesting (although slightly confusing) conclusion, which comes with a generous dollop of danger and adventure.

I wouldn't particularly recommend this one to adult readers of middle grade fantasy, mainly because I didn't think it brought anything remarkably new and powerful to the table, but as I said above, I think this would be a fine choice for the nine year old-ish girl who loves stories full of fairy magic and who is just beginning to find her reading feet in the world of longer fantasy books.

Technically this isn't being released till March, but it's available now. And Book 2, The Ruins of Noe, is on its way....

(Review copy received from the publisher)

Pathfinder, by Orson Scott Card, for Timeslip Tuesday

In Ender's Game, Orson Scott Card placed an incredibly intelligent boy in an almost unbearable science-fiction scenario; the brilliantly character-driven action and the meticulously crafted tension of the world-building made this a book to remember. It set a pretty high bar.

In Pathfinder (2010), Card brings his considerable intelligence to bear on a new world (a colony planet of earth). It's a story that combines "magic" with science fiction, and introduces a new Really Smart Boy character placed in an untenable situation. And although it's no Ender's Game, it is a very good read.

Usually I sum up the plot of the books I review, but to do so in this case is tricky to do without spoilers, so I'll keep it very minimal. A boy, Rigg, grows up alone with his father, who educates him with a passionate intensity in all imaginable disciplines. Unfortunate circumstances lead to his setting off at a young age, accompanied by Umbo, a friend from home who's in a similar predicament) to find his sister in a far away town...but things are complicated by political intrigue, betrayal, and most of all by the strange gifts that Rigg and Umbo possess...

And it is these gifts that introduce timeslippiness into the story (I'm not saying anything else). Card spares no words in describing the confusion experienced by his characters as time becomes their tool, perhaps in an effort to make the reader feel less inadequate for not quite understanding it. However, I soon learned that I was not interested in the discussions of possible paradoxes and contradictions, and allowed my eyes to float gently past these sections, which weren't essential to the story (it worked, and I didn't care how).

The story of the boy's journey is interspersed with short glimpses of another story that occurred far in the past, when the planet was first being settled, and this story, too hinges on time travel, but of the science-fiction fold-in-space/time variety. Gradually, as this second story unfolds, the backdrop of Rigg's life (and destiny) become clear....

The world-building is complex, the paranatural abilities of various characters fascinating, and the unravelling of the mystery at the heart of Rigg's situation gripping. It is a long book, and an unhurried one, and yet it defied my efforts to read it quickly (which is praise, because that means I was too interested to skim). At times I felt Card lingered too lovingly on elements (there's a lot of banter, for instance) that didn't advance the story. And at times I took issue with decisions made by the characters, both on their own merits (which adds to the interest of reading), and with the author's decisions (with regard to one choice in particular, I felt that Card let me down, and I wasn't convinced). But on the whole I was pleased with the story, finding it interesting and cohesive.

This is not a book for those who want strong female characters front and center; it is 98% a book dominated by boys; I'm generously giving Rigg's sister 1.5%, his mother 0.2%, an inkeeper named Leaky 0.2%, and a really cool female biologist 0.1%. And it is not a book for those irritated by boys who are Very Smart and Preternaturally Poised. However, Pathfinder will probably prove to be a pleasant diversion for those who like the same books I like. It's the sort of book I was perfectly happy to have read, yet don't feel the urge to press into the hand of all and sundry. I think that the reason for my tepid enthusiasm is that Rigg is no Ender. Ender was vulnerable, and almost broken; simultaneously flawed and sympathetic; I cared deeply about him. Rigg seems emotionally untouched by events, lacking in empathy (except empathy of an intellectual variety), and although not unlikeable, not someone I cared about, and his sidekicks didn't fill the emotional gap. (Also, and this is petty, "Rigg," "Umbo" and "Loaf" (sidekick number 2), are hard names for me to swallow. Especially poor Umbo).

My own issues aside, the time travel elements provide a nice added bonus of intellectual puzzle...and I did read the book eagerly and with enjoyment.

Note on age: This is categorized as YA, and there's some violence, and complexity to the plot that might loose young readers. However, there's no sex; Rigg and Umbo never even think about it (exept for one teensy smidge of blushing on Umbo's part). I'd say that anyone who likes Rick Riordan's books (especially his later ones) would be just fine with this. So I'm sticking a middle grade label on it too.

Congratulations to The Shadows, winner of the 2010 Middle Grade Sci Fi/Fantasy Cybils Award!

The Cybils Award winners have been announced, and the winner of my own category of middle grade sci fi/fantasy is THE SHADOWS, Books of Elsewhere 1, by Jacqueline West! Of all the books on the shortlist, this is the one I would have loved most as a child. Here's what I said back when it came out last summer:

"Olive's new home is huge and old and neglected, filled to the brim with all the furniture, clothes, paintings, and miscellany of its previous owner. Her mathematician parents, living in their own world of number-fill fun, thinks its a perfect place (the library the size of a small ballroom was a definite selling point). But as eleven-year old Olive begins to explore, she finds that it is a house with secrets--dark ones--painted into the many pictures that are fixed immovably onto its walls. A house that came with remarkable cats who serve an agenda of their own--one they aren't telling Olive. A house with gravestones built into its basement walls.

When she realizes that the old glasses she found tucked away into a drawer actually let her enter the paintings, and met the painted people within them, Olive finds herself in the midst of a mystery that defies logic. Step by step she begins to unravel the dark secrets behind the paintings...but the cats aren't being as helpful as they might be (are they even on Olive's side?) and as Olive's understanding of her new home's secrets grows, so to does her understanding that she is in terrible danger from an evil force that she may unwittingly be bringing back from the dead.

This is an absolutely lovely read for the connoisseur of fantasy for the young. There's the wonderful setting--I'm a sucker for an old house stuffed chock full of Stuff. There's Olive, who's an ordinary child. Not a scrap of magical ability. Smart and self-reliant and very likable, but not so as to be Special. Not a Chosen One--just a kid stumbling into magic, and trying to figure it out--giving the sense that this story could happen to any of us. And Olive doesn't meet a boy whose older and smarter and braver, with whom romance in the future is a possibility. Instead she meets a boy who's younger and needier and not immediately appealing. Another ordinary (well, in character, at least) kid.

Then there's the story itself, with all the mysteries of the paintings for the reader to explore along with Olive. West's writing carries things along just swimmingly, with enough description to make things come alive in vivid detail without hindering the build-up of tension. I enjoyed it tremendously, and recommend it highly, and eagerly anticipate the next book (although, for those tired of series-es (serii?) this ends nicely and is self-contained). In essence, it's Return to Goneaway, by Elizabeth Enright (a great favorite of mine), with a fascinating dark fantasy element.

Age range: It's scary, but not graphically violent. No "YA" content. So just fine for fourth graders on up, including other grown-up lovers of mg fantasy.

Note on animals: although the cats are front and center (which pleases me, as I am on Team Cat, there is also a dog, who, if you like dogs, is a very nicely dog-like one)."

I was one of the panelists who created the shortlist, and I'm glad I didn't have to choose!

Please head over to the Cybils website to see the other winners, and perhaps order them, to show publishers that the Cybils Awards help promote great books!

A kiss from the past year, in honor of V Day

My favorite kiss of the past year takes place on page 185 of The Demon's Covenant, by Sarah Rees Brennan--it's the kiss that made me melt the most of just about any fictional kiss I've read. But knowing now a little more of that story I can't feel quite as I once did about it....it seems that those two kissers are not Meant to Be. So instead, here's a kiss that comes earlier in the book:

"Alan curled his fingers around the demon's neck and pulled her closer.

Then he let her go. They stood in the electric air with eyes locked instead of mouths.

"What price would I have to pay," Liannan whispered, "for you to let me out?"

"If I loved you," Alan said, "I'd do it for free."

"And what does it take to make you love someone?"

Alan smiled then, a small, rueful smile. "I don't know," he said. "Nobody's ever tried." (page 154)

Oh poor dear sweet Alan, taking on the burden of loving Nick all on his own, and (from what S.R.B. has let fall) facing Cruel Tortures in the next book....I almost wouldn't mind (well, I'd mind less than I might otherwise) if he died in book three, as long as he truly knew he was loved back (and got to kiss someone he really loves).

Changing books now--here's my favorite kiss that never happened.

My mind has kept returning to my V. Day post from 1999, and, because I love this book and want others too as well, and in the past two years I've gotten lots of new readers, here's part of what I wrote back then:

Here, taken from page 218 of The Cygnet and the Firebird, by Patricia McKillip (1993), is the fictional romance that frustrates me most, because I can't stand that there isn't any more of it. The first speaker is a prince caught by an enchantment that transforms him each day into a firebird. The second speaker is a young woman with the most insatiably curious mind for magic of any heroine I know, who is determined to break the spell.

"You used to look like a mage."

"What does a mage look like?"

"Like a closed book full of strange and marvellous things. Like the closed door to a room full of peculiar noises, lights that seep out under the door. Like a beautiful jar made of thick, colored glass that holds something glowing inside that you can't quite see, no matter how you turn the jar."

"And now?" she whispered. He came close; the light at their feet cast hollows of shadow across his eyes, drew the precise lines of his mouth clear.

"Now," he said softly, "you aren't closed. You're letting me see."

He slid his hand beneath her hair, around her neck. She watched light tremble in a drop of water near the corner of his mouth. He bent his head. The light leaped from star to star across his face, and then vanished. She closed her eyes and he was gone..."

Oh, I was so hopeful when this book, and its prequel (The Sorceress and the Cygnet), were recently republished as one volume (entitled Cygnet). It must, I told myself, mean that a third book is coming out, and they will actually get their kiss....but no joy yet.

Anyone else have a favorite frustrating fictional romance?