Archive for Fantasy

Born Wicked by Jessica Spotswood

February 9, 2012 Fantasy, Fiction, Just Read, Paranormal, Penguin, Young Adult
born wicked

TITLE:                                Born Wicked

AUTHOR:                           Jessica Spotswood

RRP:                                      Varies

PUBLISHER:                    Penguin

 

Wow – Penguin is on a roll with its YA authors at the moment. There are some really talented people out there: Ally Condie and  Marissa Meyer are the first to spring to mind and Jessica Spotswood is no exception.

Born Wicked is the first installment in the Cahill Witch Chronicles and turns the spotlight on the eldest of the three girls: Cate.  Three years earlier Cate promised their mother, before her death, she would  protect her sisters and keep their secret safe. Nobody must know they are witches but it is getting harder to hide the truth as the three girls approach adulthood and Cate herself has only a few months to choose between marriage and joining the Sisterhood.

To make things worse, Cate discovers there is more than one secret in the family and that even true love, based on honesty and respect, is not necessarily the answer to the challenges she is faced with.

Spotswood writes with passion and honesty at a fast pace that at times left me breathless. The characters are both infuriating and charming  - an accurate summation of most teenage girls I’ve met (not to mention live with) – making them credible and easy to follow. The plot has sufficient twists to keep a reader transfixed without getting dizzy and enough rewards to keep you turning the pages.

Part fantasy, part supernatural, entirely intriguing, Born Wicked is the perfect book to curl up with on a Sunday afternoon, a pot of tea at your elbow and a plate of toast in front of you.  Although I have to admit I forgot about my toast… I was too busy turning pages.

I think Ms Spotswood is going to be  a force to be reckoned with in the paranormal, YA scene – and quite rightly so.

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The Between by Lisa J Cohen

February 9, 2012 E-Books, Fantasy, Fiction, Just Read, Young Adult
the between cover

TITLE:                                 The Between

AUTHOR:                           Lisa J Cohen


Seventeen year old Lydia is being stalked by Clive – and it’s freaking her out. When, during a bus trip home, he rescues her from a swarm of dark things called Darklings then drags her to a place called The Between, she goes from freaked out to angry. Discovering Clive wants to take her to Faerie where she will be under Oberon’s rule in The Bright Court, does little to improve her mood. Nor does discovering she is in fact a fae – and one that is being fought over by Oberon’s Bright Court and Taitania’s Shadow Court.

 

Ignoring the popular advice to avoid portal fantasy plots, Lisa J Cohen has crafted a beautiful story of a young girl discovering that sometimes what we want to do and what we need to do are very different things. And that the choices we face may not be as obvious as they seem.

 

This is the first time I’ve read any of Cohen’s work and I was impressed. The characters are well rounded and plausible; the good guys are complex and the bad guys have enough depth to warrant your attention.

 

Faerie itself is presented as a cliché – woods, greenery, canvas tents and masque balls – but Cohen not only acknowledges the cliché, she points it out. And it works – you find yourself wondering why you would expect Faerie to be anything but what she has presented.

My only – very minor – disappointment was the lack of elaboration as to why iron was a problem in Faerie but I should add that it did not distract from the story in any way whatsoever.

Although perfect for the 11 to 16 age group, The Between is a comfortable read for an adult.

 

There is mention of a possible sequel – and I hope that does happen but in the meantime, find a sunny spot and curl up with The Between and get lost in Faerie with Lydia. It will be worth it.

Angelique Jurd (originally posted for The Kindle Book Review on Amazon)

The Kindle Book Review

 

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