Title: City Of Bones
Author: Cassandra Clare
Publication Info: Simon & Schuster, April 2007
Series: The Mortal Instruments, book 1
Genre: Young Adult Paranormal Romance
Rating: <3 <3 <3 <3 <3

Move over Edward Cullen, Jace Wayland is here to steal those young hearts (and young-at-hearts) out from under you. Braver, smarter, hotter, sexier, Jace is a hero for the ages. Book one in Cassandra Clare’s mega popular series is a page turner. As soon as I finished, I ran out to barnes and noble to buy the next two. It’s been a marathon reading labor day weekend! I’m looking forward to book 4 and a potential movie version of the books.

Plot:
Clary Fray is a somewhat geeky, but otherwise ordinary fifteen year old. Or so she believes. When she witnesses the murder of something not-human by three gorgeous teenagers that no one else can see, she begins a tumble through the rabbit hole into a world of demons, mythological monsters and things that go bump in the night. Jace Wayland and his siblings are Shadowhunters–an elite race of half-human, half-angels that fight the demons that threaten to overrun our world. He has little respect for “mundanes,” but Clary seems different. When her mother disappears, leaving demon stench and zombies behind, Clary must uncover the secret world her mother has been hiding, and seize her destiny.

Discussion:
Ms. Clare’s writing is lovely. Her poetic descriptions paint a fascinating world of mythic monsters and epic struggles. Her exceptional talent is in creating characters that jump off the page. Jace Wayland, in particular, is larger than life. He has all the characteristics of Peter Pan, but with a heart. Courageous, conceited, always the first to rush into danger, always the last one to accept defeat, Jace is a bad-ass with a heart of gold. *happysigh* Some of the plot twists were predictable, and I kept reading “Valentine” as “Voldemort.” There were other similarities to Harry Potter, with the kid’s parents all being part of the secret club and Clary getting a photo of them all together. I was quite disappointed by a major plot twist, but ruined the surprise for the rest of the series by reading the back cover blurb of the next few books. Do yourself a favor, don’t read the back cover blurb of books 3 and 4!

If you like the Twilight Saga, you’ll love this series.

Ms. Clare’s next project is also in the Shadowhunter world, but set in the Victorian Era. Check out her new website for the series, called the Infernal Devices, to see all the pretty gears and steam.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9306GcS5KhQ]

Vampires, succubi, spirits, OH MY! Urban fantasy, paranormal romance, and YA author Richelle Mead shares the six books she would bring if stranded on a desert island. Her YA series, VAMPIRE ACADEMY, garnered high marks from the Book Smugglers on their recent Richellapalooza week. Richelle’s Georgina Kincaid series is an Adult Urban Fantasy featuring a succubus heroine from Seattle. Her latest book, STORM BORN, is the first in a whole new series called Dark Swan.

This week Ms. Mead is the featured author on the Romantic Times’ Ask the Author Forum. Stop by and chat about writing, books, world building, and Team Seattle.

STORM BORN

Just typical. No love life to speak of for months, then all at once, every creature in the Otherworld wants to get in your pants…

Eugenie Markham is a powerful shaman who does a brisk trade banishing spirits and fey who cross into the mortal world. Mercenary, yes, but a girl’s got to eat. Her most recent case, however, is enough to ruin her appetite. Hired to find a teenager who has been taken to the Otherworld, Eugenie comes face to face with a startling prophecy–one that uncovers dark secrets about her past and claims that Eugenie’s first-born will threaten the future of the world as she knows it.

Now Eugenie is a hot target for every ambitious demon and Otherworldy ne’er-do-well, and the ones who don’t want to knock her up want her dead. Eugenie handles a Glock as smoothly as she wields a wand, but she needs some formidable allies for a job like this. She finds them in Dorian, a seductive fairy king with a taste for bondage, and Kiyo, a gorgeous shape-shifter who redefines animal attraction. But with enemies growing bolder and time running out, Eugenie realizes that the greatest danger is yet to come, and it lies in the dark powers that are stirring to life within her…

Stop by the Book Smugglers today for a fabulous interview with Melissa Marr, author of the 2008 RITA winning book for best YA WICKED LOVELY. The Book Smugglers posted excellent reviews of WICKED LOVELY and the darker companion novel INK EXCHANGE. I’ve had the pleasure of reading Wicked Lovely and strongly recommend it.

(photo above: Melissa Marr at the Publisher Signing at the 2008 RWA National Conference in San Francisco)

WICKED LOVELY

Rule #3: Don’t stare at invisible faeries.

Aislinn has always seen faeries. Powerful and dangerous, they walk hidden in mortal world. Aislinn fears their cruelty—especially if they learn of her Sight—and wishes she were as blind to their presence as other teens.

Rule #2: Don’t speak to invisible faeries.

Now faeries are stalking her. One of them, Keenan, who is equal parts terrifying and alluring, is trying to talk to her, asking questions Aislinn is afraid to answer.

Rule #1: Don’t ever attract their attention.

But it’s too late. Keenan is the Summer King who has sought his queen for nine centuries. Without her, summer itself will perish. He is determined that Aislinn will become the Summer Queen at any cost—regardless of her plans or desires.

Suddenly none of the rules that have kept Aislinn safe are working anymore, and everything is on the line: her freedom; her best friend, Seth; her life; everything.

Faerie intrigue, mortal love, and the clash of ancient rules and modern expectations swirl together in Melissa Marr’s stunning 21^st century faery tale.

INK EXCHANGE

Unbeknownst to mortals, a power struggle is unfolding in a world of shadows and danger. After centuries of stability, the balance among the Faery Courts has altered, and Irial, ruler of the Dark Court, is battling to hold his rebellious and newly vulnerable fey together. If he fails, bloodshed and brutality will follow.

Seventeen-year-old Leslie knows nothing of faeries or their intrigues. When she is attracted to an eerily beautiful tattoo of eyes and wings, all she knows is that she has to have it, convinced it is a tangible symbol of changes she desperately craves for her own life.

The tattoo does bring changes—not the kind Leslie has dreamed of, but sinister, compelling changes that are more than symbolic. Those changes will bind Leslie and Irial together, drawing Leslie deeper and deeper into the faery world, unable to resist its allures, and helpless to withstand its perils. . . .

TITLE: Breaking Dawn
AUTHOR: Stephanie Meyer
SERIES: Twilight Saga Book 4
PUBLICATION: Little, Brown Children’s Books, August 2008
GENRE: Young Adult Paranormal Romance
RATING: <3 <3 <3 <3

Breaking Dawn was an action-packed emotional thriller that kept me hooked from page one. Yes, I know some fans were upset, but I’m not one of them. Despite knowing every plot twist before reading the book, I was glued to the edge of my seat and read the book cover to cover in one sitting. My only complaint is that Ms. Meyer cut away during the good parts – you know what I mean.

Plot:

This is a three part novel. I shall not endever to write a review without spoilers. Anyone who has managed to avoid The Big Secret by this point is not someone who spends much time on the internet.

***SPOILER ALERT***

PART I: HONEYMOON (Bella’s POV)
ECLIPSE left us with Bella and Edward engaged and Jacob, heartbroken, fleeing as a wolf to roam the wilds of canada. BREAKING DAWN begins with Bella and Edward’s fairy tale wedding designed by Edward’s enthusiastic and clairvoyant sister Alice. Though no one has seen or heard from Jacob in months, he returns to Forks to stop in at the wedding and wish the happy couple felicitations. He snaps when he learns that Bella plans to sleep with Edward before becoming a vampire, knowing that it endangers her life. On that happy note, Bella and Edward set off for the Island of Esme for their honeymoon. Bella delights in her newfound sexuality, and decides to stay human for awhile longer so she can explore it. She’s worried that the first few years as a vampire she will be out of her mind in bloodlust and in no mood to make love to her husband. Edward is more than happy to wait. But their happy plans are thwarted when Bella develops food cravings, daytime sleepiness and a belly bump.

PART II: THE MONSTER IN THE ROOM (Jacob’s POV)
Jacob struggles with his heartbreak and his revulsion of Bella’s plans to become a bloodsucker. He suspects she has crossed to the dark side when she returns to Forks and refuses to see anyone, but when he bursts in on the Cullen family he finds something even worse: Bella is pregnant and the monster in her belly is quickly killing her. Jacob takes Edward to task, but finds an unexpected ally in the terrified father-to-be. It is Bella and narcissistic Rosalie who refuse to let Doctor Carlisle abort the deadly fetus. Edward is so troubled by Bella’s sudden desire to be a mother that he makes Jacob an offer. (If you liked the tent threesome in Eclipse, you’ll love this.) Jacob returns to his wolf pack with the news and Alpha Sam immediately decides the monster must be terminated, with Bella a casualty of war, causing Jacob to break off and start his own pack.

Bella’s half-vampire, half-human baby gestates in one month, during which Jacob and Bella are unexplainably drawn to each other. The tension grows. Bella goes into labor and Edward must fight to save her by turning her.

PART III: WHAT IS EVIL? (Bella’s POV)
Bella wakes up to a whole new world: her senses heightened, her reflexes super quick, her thirst unquenchable. Fortunately she has a new superpower – remarkable self-control. Until it comes to her daughter – hell hath no fury like a mother crossed. She is less than pleased to find that Jacob has imprinted on her daughter and nicknamed the poor thing “Nessie” after the Lock Ness Monster. Nessie continues to grow at a rapid pace. A new threat grows: the Volturi have set their sights on eliminating the Cullens and seizing the gifted (mind-reading Edward and clairvoyant Alice). The Cullens must recruit their Vampire friends to witness that baby Nessie isn’t an illegal turned-child, but a real half-vamp half-human child, in an effort to stop the slaughter.

Discussion:

I’ve admitted before my love for knocked-up heroines and baby plots, but even my biological clock cringed at the description of the bloodsucking monster growing inside Bella’s stomach. The thing rips its way out of its mothers stomach using claws and teeth, always killing the mother in the process. It is a parasite. Gruesome. Even once she was born, I had trouble thinking “Awww cute! A Baby!” about Nessie.

The THEME of Ms. Meyer’s books is “Choice.” One can choose to be evil or good. The Cullens have made the choice to be “vegetarian” vampires and drink from animals instead of humans. Bella makes the choice to love Edward even though he is a “monster” and the choice to become a vampire. Jacob makes the choice to overcome his prejudices and ally with the Cullens. It’s funny though, that love isn’t necessarily a choice in Ms. Meyer’s world. Edward and Bella’s love comes across as fated and the werewolves’ imprinting is most definitely not a choice.

I also wonder at the end of BREAKING DAWN when the Cullens and Bella ally with their friend vampires who kill humans to feed. In my humble opinion, killing humans is evil and the Cullens’ friendship with human killers is an unspoken acceptance of their murdering lifestyle. The Cullens were in a difficult position, and beggars can’t be choosers, but it still made me feel slightly uncomfortable. One vampire did choose vegetarianism after the conflict, but only because he started dating one of the animal-drinking vamps from Alaska.

I really enjoyed reading in Jacob’s Point of View (POV) in part II of the book. His voice is distinct: a teenage male dealing with life-altering issues, a boy turning into a man. It added layers of depth to the novel.

I want to know what happens with Leah. She had so much pain and she never got a happy ever after. Her loose end was not tied up. I also wonder if Ms. Meyer has planned a future series with Nessie as the heroine. She set up a possible triangle at the end of Breaking Dawn. I could see it.

The series as a whole is a must-read, not only for an exciting and heart-wrenching epic, but also to understand a milestone in the Young Adult and Paranormal Romance Genres. A few romance-reading friends had difficulty with the pacing of the first book, but I would urge you to push through. The pacing picks up after TWILIGHT and the characters grab you by the heart strings and don’t let go. I would recommend this series especially to people who haven’t read many romance or fantasy novels as a way to get them hooked.

I look forward to reading future books by Ms. Meyers. Her adult horror book, THE HOST, is next on my To-Be-Read pile.

TITLE: New Moon
AUTHOR: Stephanie Meyer
SERIES: Twilight Saga Book 2
PUBLICATION: Little, Brown Children’s Books, May 2008
GENRE: Young Adult Paranormal Romance
RATING: <3 <3 <3 <3

Ms. Meyer comes into her own in her sophomore novel, no slumping involved. I gave New Moon a better grade than Twilight because the pacing and style are improved. On the downside, the overwhelming emotions of the book are depression (because Edward abandons Bella at the beginning of the book) and obsession (as opposed to love). I admit, I was saddened when Edward showed up for the climax. Jacob was so much better for Bella.

Plot:

The Cullens throw Bella a party for her 18th birthday and she gets a paper cut. The smell of blood makes the entire vampire family crazed with bloodlust and Jasper almost kills the birthday girl. Edward realizes that he is a threat to Bella’s life and decides that the best thing for her would be for him and his family to cut off all contact. He tells Bella he no longer loves her and the family disappears. Bella is understandably devastated. She eventually puts together a semblance of life in order to appease her father, going through the motions, but her spirit is not there.

After many months of being the walking dead, Bella begins to hang out with Jacob who manages to put a smile on her face again. She isn’t healed (that would require major cognitive behavioral therapy and antidepressants, which apparently don’t exist in Forks), but she begins to feel again. One morning Jacob wakes up and turns into a werewolf. He struggles with his new life – fitting into the pack, keeping the secret from Bella, hating vampires – but eventually regains some of his happy nature.

In her obsession, Bella makes the connection that she can hear Edward’s voice in her head when she is risking her life. Lo and behold, she begins to risk her life repeatedly. When she jumps off a cliff into the ocean, clairvoyant Alice Cullen “sees” and flies to Forks to check in on her. Rosalie Cullen tells Edward that Bella committed suicide. Edward calls the Swan house and asks to speak to Bella’s dad and Jacob, who understandably isn’t happy with the Cullens for torturing Bella, snarls that Charlie is “at the funeral.” Charlie is at someone else’s funeral, but Edward immediately hops a plane to Italy to ask the Volturi, the powerful Vampire enforcers, to kill him. He cannot live without her (maybe he should have thought of that before he left her? Grrrrr). Alice and Bella rush after him to intercede, risking their own lives in the process.

Discussion:

I can’t think of a single character who wasn’t to blame for some of the heartache and danger that happened in this book. And Bella forgave Edward so easily! I wanted to see more groveling. She’s such a martyr.

It is impossible to write a rational review once one has become a squeeing fangirl. I cannot think logically and analyze this book, because Ms. Meyer’s magic has made me invested in the characters. I no longer think of them as “characters,” but as real people with real struggles. This is the ultimate praise for an author, and the reason the Twilight Saga is so popular.

I am on Team Jacob because of this book. Compare the following description of Jacob to the moody and unfaithful Edward.

Jacob was simply a perpetually happy person, and he carried that happiness with him lika an aura, sharing it with whoever was near him. Like an earthbound sun, whenever someone was within his gravitational pull, Jacob warmed them. It was natural, a part of who he was. No wonder I was so eager to see him, (p145)

How can anyone not be on Team Jacob??? It’s okay, Bella, if you pick Edward. That leaves Jacob free for me.

Reading NEW MOON in the wilderness. What do you mean “pack light” for backpacking? I thought that was just so I could fit more books.

TWILIGHT SAGA WEEK:
Monday – Twilight
Tuesday – New Moon
Wednesday – Eclipse
Thursday – 13 Book Recommendations for people who loved Twilight
Friday – Breaking Dawn

TITLE: Twilight
AUTHOR: Stephanie Meyer
PUBLICATION: Little, Brown Children’s Books, September 2006
GENRE: Young Adult Paranormal Romance
RATING: <3 <3 <3

TWILIGHT is an international bestselling young adult book that fans claim is the next big thing since Harry Potter. The sheer amount of buzz turned me off. How could the book possibly live up to its hype? I finally gave in after a camping trip on the Olympic Peninsula, where the book is set. I didn’t want to be the last person on the planet to see what all the fuss was about. It was a daunting task, overcoming my preconceived notions, but Ms. Meyer’s debut novel in the end won me over. I quickly snapped up the remaining three books in the four book saga and was quite satisfied.

PLOT:

Isabella (Bella) Swan moves to Forks, a tiny town on the rainy Olympic Peninsula in Washington State, to live with her dad when her mother remarries. Bella braves being a new student in the small high school where everyone knows everyone else. Yay for small town life! To her surprise, every guy in school develops a crush on her, but she finds herself drawn to the mysterious and antisocial Cullen family. In particular, the youngest son Edward captures her attention, because he is the most beautiful person she has ever seen and he smells good. Edward and his siblings skip school when it is sunny and are never seen eating. They have cold skin and strange eyes. Edward is by turns charming and hostile. For him, she is the apple. He wants to take a bite. Despite his moodiness, Bella can’t get him out of her head. When he saves her life on more than one occasion, she becomes even more obsessed. (This relationship is unhealthy, which is why I am a Jacob fan-girl. Are we trying to tell our daughters that this behavior is normal? I hope not.)

Bella’s friend Jacob tells her some legends about bloodsuckers and shapeshifters, and Bella begins to put two and two together: The Cullens are not human. She confronts Edward and he relents into showing her some of his world of “vegetarian” vampires. He has difficulty not sucking her blood, but Edward is nothing if not self controlled. Unfortunately not all vampires are good, and when an evil vampire sets his sights on Bella, the Cullen family must band together to save her. Bella is very good at getting into life-endangering situations, and sitting around looking pretty while the men fight to save her.

DISCUSSION:

Twilight is TUCK EVERLASTING for the new generation. It’s a comment on our culture and society that the moral of the story has changed. In both we have a young female protagonist who is tempted by immortality when she meets a strange family that does not age and falls in love with the son. In Tuck Everlasting the apple of immortality is “a curse that disrupts the natural cycle of life.” In Twilight the dark side of immortality is…nonexistent? What happened to Eve being tempted by the apple resulting in the fall of mankind? The issue in Twilight is brought up, but never fully discussed. I think this would be a fascinating analytical essay, comparing the concepts of immortality and youth in the two novels.

The stated theme from Ms. Meyer’s is “there is always a choice,” that one’s nature does not condemn one to be evil. One can chose between right and wrong. I wonder though how Bella struggles with this theme. She doesn’t seem to have a choice about whom to love – it is almost fated. The Cullen’s choose not to be human-killers. What else?

TWILIGHT is a gateway book. It is, in essence, a vampire romance. I’ve read tons of vampire romances, and compared to the genre as a whole, Twilight has serious competition. For romance newbies, Twilight is a perfect place to start a serious love affair with romance novels. (Which is of course my evil plan, to addict as many people as possible. Mwuhahahaha.) The romance is light and chaste (it’s a YA after all) and the paranormal aspects aren’t too dark. Bella’s high school experiences – adapting to a new school, the horrors of gym class, teenage angst – play quite a large role. Personally, I dislike reliving high school. Once was enough.

The characters are the highlight of the book, the reason this series has touched so many hearts. Bella, for all her perfection, is human; shy and awkward, but most importantly kind. We would all like to be friends with her. Edward, of course, is gorgeous. Who wouldn’t want to be Bella, to be adored by everyone? She is Helen of Troy, Paris’ golden apple, inspiring madness wherever she goes. Somehow this doesn’t go to her head; she is selfless. A martyr.

Ms. Meyer’s style and pacing pick up in the second book, but in her debut the reader follows Bella on a lot of day-to-day activities – waking up, brushing her teeth, eating breakfast, etc. For a reader who is used to fast-paced vampire romance, this can be a turn off. Keep reading. By the end of the book you’ll be invested with the characters.

I recommend this book, with some caveats. Mostly, I don’t think that Bella is a healthy role model for teenage girls. It must be terrible to write YA and have people telling you that your heroes and heroines must be role-models. What happened to simply telling a good story? But thems the breaks. Bella and Edward share something much closer to obsession than love. Over the course of the Saga it improved, but in the first two books it was unhealthy.

EDITED TO ADD: Smart Bitch Sarah hits the nail on the head with her exposé on Edward as an Old-Skool Romance Hero. This is why I’m on Team Jacob. I despise Old-Skool romances.

I can’t wait for the movie: NOVEMBER 21, 2008!

PS: It’s TWILIGHT SAGA week.
Monday – Twilight
Tuesday – New Moon
Wednesday – Eclipse
Thursday – Book Recommendations for people who loved Twilight
Friday – Breaking Dawn