Review Take Two: Geekerella by Ashley Poston

Title: Geekerella
Author: Ashley Poston
Genre: contemporary, retelling
Series: N/A
Pages: 320
Published: April 4 2017
Source: publishers via NetGalley
Rating: 5/5

Cinderella goes to the con in this fandom-fueled twist on the classic fairy tale.

Geek girl Elle Wittimer lives and breathes Starfield, the classic sci-fi series she grew up watching with her late father. So when she sees a cosplay contest for a new Starfield movie, she has to enter. The prize? An invitation to the ExcelsiCon Cosplay Ball, and a meet-and-greet with the actor slated to play Federation Prince Carmindor in the reboot. With savings from her gig at the Magic Pumpkin food truck (and her dad's old costume), Elle's determined to win unless her stepsisters get there first.

Teen actor Darien Freeman used to live for cons before he was famous. Now they re nothing but autographs and awkward meet-and-greets. Playing Carmindor is all he's ever wanted, but the Starfieldfandom has written him off as just another dumb heartthrob. As ExcelsiCon draws near, Darien feels more and more like a fake until he meets a girl who shows him otherwise.

Part romance, part love letter to nerd culture, and all totally adorbs, Geekerella is a fairy tale for anyone who believes in the magic of fandom.

There are a few words that come to mind about Geekerella: "delightful" is one of the first that spring to mind. "Fun" is another. "Reread worthy" is definitely part of the conversation. Charming, nerdy, charismatic, inclusive, and romantic are all also applicable labels for this fun mashup of ideas. Ashley Poston's contemporary YA retelling of Cinderella contains all the hallmarks of the fairy take that we've come to love but combines them with unique, modern adaptations. Geekerella is the best of both worlds. Nerdy and entertaining; it's a celebration of fandom and love and diverse nerdlove and makes for the perfect escapism read.

There was a grin on my face the entire time I was reading Geekerella. From the vegan food truck that is the Pumpkin to ExcelsiCon ball, I loved the various ways the author interpreted a timeless take for the modern age. The miscommunication trope between Darien and Elle adds a new layer to their relationship without being cliche, and allows for the two teens know each other for longer than a dance before falling (believably) in love. One of the failings of Disney is that their heroines' story often revolves around the introduction and keeping of a love interest -- that is not true for Elle. Her life is imperfect and full of struggle, but it is also rich with the memory of her father and her own stalwart interest in Starfield.

I was prepared for how much I would ship the relationship between fanfic writer Elle and secret-nerd Darien, but I was not prepared for how much I would love Ashley Poston's writing itself. While it wasn't one of the things I've heard touted for this awesome title, I'd often find myself rereading certain sections because they were perfectly worded and expressed emotion I myself understood, regarding fandom or relationships or even family. It's also unexpectedly funny -- Elle's humor and wit are paired right alongside her more soulful moments. I adored her awkward ass.

Whited out because kinda spoilery.... even though it's a Cinderella retelling aka we all know where this is going:

"I want his gaze, the way he looks at me -- like I'm the last star in the night sky and the first one at dusk -- branded on my heart."

"Somehow, in this impossible universe, his lips find mine."

"And he kisses me again. It isn't the kind of kiss to end a universe of possibilities. It's the exact opposite. It's the kind of kiss that creates them."

From nerdery to romantic love, Poston can write and write with flair.

Pop culture and classic fairy tale make for an oddly perfect combination. Maybe Ashley Poston is magic? Geekerella has the odd moment or two where it can stumble in its execution (Sage's relationship with Calliope was way out of left field, much as I like that the lesbian best friend got her HEA) but that can hardly detract from the overall awesomeness that this novel brings to bear. A creative mix of fandom nerdery and Cinderella, Geekerella stands out. With its super charming and funny narrative style, the A+ ship it's easy to recommend this contemporary.

Review: Spindle Fire by Lexa Hillyer

Title: Spindle Fire
Author: Lexa Hillyer
Genre: fantasy
Series: Spindle Fire #1
Pages: 368
Published: expected April 11 2017
Source: publishers via edelweiss
Rating: 4/5

Perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas and Leigh Bardugo, Spindle Fire is an enthralling, wholly original reimagining of a classic faerie story.

Half sisters Isabelle and Aurora are polar opposites: Isabelle is the king’s headstrong illegitimate daughter, whose sight was tithed by faeries; Aurora, beautiful and sheltered, was tithed her sense of touch and voice on the same day. Despite their differences, the sisters have always been extremely close.

And then everything changes, with a single drop of Aurora’s blood, a Faerie Queen who is preparing for war, a strange and enchanting dream realm—and a sleep so deep it cannot be broken.

Spindle Fire is a tour-de-force fantasy set in the dwindling, deliciously corrupt world of the fae and featuring two truly unforgettable heroines, from a writer destined to be a major voice in YA.

Another fantasy/fairy tale retelling from HarperTeen, Lexa Hillyer's solid retelling of Sleeping Beauty stands out from its many counterparts due to its scope and ambitious storytelling. Innovative, fun, and far-reaching, this is a great blend of two genres. Told in present tense and closely focused on two very different sets of sisters, Spindle Fire incorporates the familiar parts of the Sleeping Beauty story and pairs them with inventions and adaptations all its own. A unique and creative look at one of our most popular fairy tales, Lexa Hillyer's detailed and original look at the story of Aurora (and now Isabelle) makes for a great series beginning.

Aurora is the crown princess of her country, and Isbe is the bastard elder daughter of their father. The two siblings share the narration of Spindle Fire; each girl's plotline is fresh, engaging, and distinct in both  voice and tone. One sister had her sight tithed to the fae, and the other had touch and voice tithed in return for gifts from the supernatural creatures. Despite their wildly varying circumstances and states in life, the two girls are close, even forming a ASL-like language only they can understand. Their bond is true and authentic despite convention and expectation, but still fraught and complicated. The relationship between the two girls is layered and important; it also provides the drive for most of the plot's progression. After the infamous spindle, Isbe's journey to save her sister at all costs is compelling and believable because we are shown the depth of their love for one another.

Contrasted neatly against the two human sisters' present struggles is the history of two powerful fae sisters named Malfleur and Belcoeur. Their messy past informs the present of Isbe and Aurora's current circumstances; the two opposing narratives are tied together rather cleverly using magic and a spindle. Without venturing too far from the usual path of the Sleeping Beauty fairy tale, Hillyer manages to create an extensive, intricate history for the two fae and then ties it to Aurora's sleeping curse. The effects of the two sister's deteriorating relationship are widespread; felt even in the world-building and culture of the present world of Isbe and Aurora. Hillyer spends a lot of time in Spindle Fire building or revealing the relationships between her characters and it makes their interactions richer and more meaningful, as shown with first Isbe and Aurora, and then when Malfleur and Belcoeur are involved.

Strong writing, solid worldbuilding, and great characters made Spindle Fire a very fun and fully entertaining read. This story shines the most when it directly concerns the relationship between either pair of sisters. Unlike the complexity shown of those relationships, I found that the various romances being set up for the princesses didn't really work for me. The potential is there for both Isbe and Aurora's love interests to become more shippable in the next book - at least if Hillyer avoids the pitfall of using a tired trope like love triangles.

Spindle Fire is a clever, very enjoyable blend of fantasy and fairy tale; the first in a duology, it makes for an engrossing read that is ably plotted and quickly moving.

 

Two Minute Review: Geekerella by Ashley Poston

Title: Geekerella
Author: Ashley Poston
Genre: contemporary, retelling
Series: N/A
Pages: 320
Published: April 4 2017
Source: publishers via NetGalley
Rating: 3.5/5

Cinderella goes to the con in this fandom-fueled twist on the classic fairy tale.

Geek girl Elle Wittimer lives and breathes Starfield, the classic sci-fi series she grew up watching with her late father. So when she sees a cosplay contest for a new Starfield movie, she has to enter. The prize? An invitation to the ExcelsiCon Cosplay Ball, and a meet-and-greet with the actor slated to play Federation Prince Carmindor in the reboot. With savings from her gig at the Magic Pumpkin food truck (and her dad's old costume), Elle's determined to win unless her stepsisters get there first.

Teen actor Darien Freeman used to live for cons before he was famous. Now they re nothing but autographs and awkward meet-and-greets. Playing Carmindor is all he's ever wanted, but the Starfieldfandom has written him off as just another dumb heartthrob. As ExcelsiCon draws near, Darien feels more and more like a fake until he meets a girl who shows him otherwise.

Part romance, part love letter to nerd culture, and all totally adorbs, Geekerella is a fairy tale for anyone who believes in the magic of fandom.

I ended up liking Geekerella, but it was a struggle at first.

First, the book has a lot of superficial similarities to another book about fandom I read and hated last year. Instead of making me feel, "wow this is what that book was trying to do!", I felt like it was more of the same. A fandom liberally ripped off of Star Trek. A nerdy main character with no interests outside of fandom. A movie reboot and fan backlash, also liberally stolen from the real Trek fandom. An overabundance of actual fandom references to make the book seem hip to geeks IRL. It's not Poston or the book's fault my mind compared it to another, but it kind of is its fault that this has been done before.

Second, while I liked Darien from his first chapter, I took a long time to warm to Elle. She just came off very flat for me. She had no interests outside of the fandom. I needed her to write original screenplays or volunteer at an animal shelter since she loves the neighbor’s dog. Listen to obscure Swedish pop or secretly smuggle Harlequin romances under her pillow. Something! Work it into the existing story by having her be a former ballroom dancing champion, a childhood passion driven by all those waltzes with dad in the living room. Or, she took the job at the Magic Pumpkin because she has a secret love of the movie Chef and a passion for street food. Literally anything besides fanfiction and reruns. Elle won me over once the story moved to the con, but it made more than 50% of the book a slog.

I do like the attempt at diversity in the book, as Darien is Indian and the role of Carmidore is specifically written for an Indian main character, something we Trekkies definitely didn’t get in 1966. There’s also a f/f beta romance, though it doesn’t get a lot of screen time and the evil step-mother is a homophobe. I could see the author making an effort, especially in the crowd scenes, but there's a small primary cast and it's pretty white.

Random gripes: Darien's assistant is a fucking idiot and it's not cute. Promoting her was the worst idea in the whole book. She'll tank his career in three months. I also hated the saboteur plot and I don't understand how getting stuck on a roof and filming a stunt gone wrong were supposedly career-ending gossip items? In these modern Cinderellas, why are there never any aunts or grandparents fighting for custody? Like, you don't just get custody of your ex's kid unless you've legally adopted them, and if these evil step-mother's are going to court for custody, why? Also, I know you feel the dog's being abused, but you can't just steal other people's pets or bring them to tent-pole action franchise premiers.

As you can see from my random complaints, there’s nothing really wrong with Geekerella. Despite a slow start and some plot points that don't have a lot of grounding in the real world, it’s a cute premise. It's a fun fantasy, but it never brought me to the impossible universe with Ella and Dare.

Review: The Wish Granter by C.J. Redwine

Title: The Wish Granter
Author: C.J. Redwine
Genre: fantasy, retelling
Series: Ravenspire #2
Pages: 432
Published: expected February 14 2017
Source: publishers via edelweiss
Rating: 3.5/5

An epic fantasy inspired by the Rumpelstiltskin fairy tale, about a bastard princess who must take on an evil fae to save her brother’s soul, from the New York Times bestselling author of The Shadow Queen.


The world has turned upside down for Thad and Ari Glavan, the bastard twins of Súndraille’s king. Their mother was murdered. The royal family died mysteriously. And now Thad sits on the throne of a kingdom whose streets are suddenly overrun with violence that he can’t stop.

Growing up ignored by the nobility, Ari never wanted to be a proper princess. And when Thad suddenly starts training Ari to take his place, she realizes that her brother’s ascension to the throne wasn’t fate. It was the work of a Wish Granter named Alistair Teague, who tricked Thad into wishing away both the safety of his people and his soul in exchange for the crown.

So Ari recruits the help of Thad’s enigmatic new weapons master, Sebastian Vaughn, to teach her how to fight Teague. With secret ties to Teague’s criminal empire, Sebastian might just hold the key to discovering Alistair’s weaknesses, saving Ari’s brother—and herself.

But Teague is ruthless and more than ready to destroy anyone who dares stand in his way—and now he has his sights set on the princess. And if Ari can’t outwit him, she’ll lose Sebastian, her brother...and her soul.

Just when I thought I was out with this series -- I had some ...issues... with The Shadow Queen last year  -- C.J. Redwine pulls me back in with a dark retelling of Rumpelstiltskin for a sequel. More mature and more ambitious than its predecessor, Rumelstiltskin's retelling is more alike Grimm's original fairy tales than a Disney version. It's amusing that The Shadow Queen has a better cover and gets more attention than The Wish Granter, because it's the latter that has a far better, more inventive storyline. By moving her series to a new Kingdom and adding a new set of unique characters, Redwine has ample opportunities for her fantasy to be creative and takes full advantage of that fact.

One of the best things about the newest novel in the Ravenspire series is the strong, enduring bond between the main character Ari and her older brother Thad. Ari is a fantastic main character on her own, but it is their sibling relationship is what anchors and propels the story. It is what sets the main plot in motion and also gives The Wish Granter some genuine pathos. Royal bastards, isolated and judged by their father's Court, they have always been outsiders and feel the same even when Thad reluctantly finds himself on the throne of Sundraille. More than anything, these two teens want to protect each other and spend nearly the entire novel trying to find new ways to do so from all manner of threats. Thad is bit less defined than his sister due to his more regulated role, but Ari's genuine love for her brother is infectious and genuine.

The secondary characters of the story and Ari's world, including the antagonist of "Teague", are similarly well-drawn, if given far less time to develop into realistic personalities. This is third novel I have read by this author but it is first time I have genuinely cared about her characters or have shipped the main ship. The love interest of Sebastian is particularly three-dimensional, if not exactly outside of a genre stereotype in both his past and in his new job. One of the reasons I finally engaged with the romantic relationship is because the author allows it room to grow and evolve naturally. Ari and Sebastian are friends first and their bond gradually deepens over the course of The Wish Granter, instead of just appearing out of nowhere. It's as refreshing as Ari's deep and abiding love for food. 

Intense and interesting, The Wish Granter is a solid 3.5/5 star fantasy novel and an fun adaptation of a favorite fairy tale. Though a tad too overlong at 430+ pages and a tad too easily concluded, it's the best the Ravenspire has to offer as of yet. It builds on the worldbuilding from book one and introduces new kinds of magic and monster for the heroines to contend with. A clever antagonist, smart plotting and memorable characters make it also the best of Redwine's bibliography so far.

Two Minute Review: Wintersong by S. Jae-Jones

Title: Wintersong
Author: S. Jae-Jones
Genre: fantasy, retelling
Series: N/A
Pages: 448
Published: expected February 14 2017
Source: publishers via NetGalley
Rating: 4/5

Beware the goblin men and the wares they sell.

All her life, nineteen-year-old Liesl has heard tales of the beautiful, mysterious Goblin King. He is the Lord of Mischief, the Ruler Underground, and the muse around which her music is composed. Yet, as Liesl helps shoulder the burden of running her family’s inn, her dreams of composition and childish fancies about the Goblin King must be set aside in favor of more practical concerns.

But when her sister Käthe is taken by the goblins, Liesl journeys to their realm to rescue her sister and return her to the world above. The Goblin King agrees to let Käthe go—for a price. The life of a maiden must be given to the land, in accordance with the old laws. A life for a life, he says. Without sacrifice, nothing good can grow. Without death, there can be no rebirth. In exchange for her sister’s freedom, Liesl offers her hand in marriage to the Goblin King. He accepts.

Down in the Underground, Liesl discovers that the Goblin King still inspires her—musically, physically, emotionally. Yet even as her talent blossoms, Liesl’s life is slowly fading away, the price she paid for becoming the Goblin King’s bride. As the two of them grow closer, they must learn just what it is they are each willing to sacrifice: her life, her music, or the end of the world. 

New writer S. Jae-Jones makes an excellent impression with her dreamlike Wintersong. A gorgeously-written novel retelling of Christina Rosseti's famous Goblin Market poem, this debut is smooth, enticing, and darkly romantic. A deft mixing of the mundane and the magical worlds made for a layered, original, and interesting take on the myth of the unknowable, mischievous Goblin King. The atmosphere of Liesl's life is a rich one, and the plot surrounding her is creative and enterprising, tying together themes of love, duty, family, and independence.

Wintersong is an easy recommendation to make for any reader who appreciates ambitious storytelling, authorial sleight of hand, antihero love interests, eerie supernatural worlds and creatures, and/or multifaceted characters. There is a lot going on in these pages, all capably rendered in Jones' truly lovely prose. The romance itself is somewhat problematic given the fluctuating nature of Liesl's situation, but the author is persuasive, clever, and makes her Goblin King undeniably mysterious and alluring to both her heroine and her audience.

Somewhat similar in tone to Naomi Novik's Uprooted, S. Jae-Jones breathes new life into an old favorite and additionally creates several new story elements to make the resulting novel hers alone. Wintersong is the rare kind of standalone that makes readers hope for a series.

Two Minute Review: Teen Hyde by Chandler Baker

Title: Teen Hyde
Author: Chandler Baker
Genre: retelling
Series: High School Horror Story #2
Pages: 272
Published: January 10 2017
Source: ARC from publisher
Rating: 2.5/5

High school meets classic horror in this YA contemporary twist on Robert Louis Stevenson's The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

Head Cheerleader Cassidy Hyde’s life should have been perfect. But it really, really wasn’t, and she’s about ready to give up and disappear. Until, the first time she takes Sunshine. This new experimental drug makes Cassidy feel like the perfect, golden girl once again. A little memory loss seems like a small price to pay to get her life back . . . at least until boys start to go missing . . . boys that Cassidy NEVER wanted to think of again . . .

Thus begins Chandler Baker's second twisty-turny retelling of a familiar tale, once again set in the town of Hollow Pines, Texas, where high school is truly horrifying.

There are a couple good things about Chandler Baker's new novel, Teen Hyde: it's pretty readable, even if you have not read the series first book, Teen Frankenstein, and it's also pretty short at less than 275 pages. I wanted to enjoy this adaptation of Jekyll and Hyde with teen girls but outside of the story's basic premise, there's not much new or memorable about this modern retelling. Cassidy has a few moments where she stands outside the YA milieu of protagonists but on the whole, she is as been-there-read-that as the rest of this story.

There's a basic plot that anchors Cassidy's actions in Teen Hyde. Her blah boyfriend cheated on her, friends have died, and Cassidy is not handling it well -- memory loss included. There's so little depth given to her as a character or to her relationships, that the inciting incident has no emotion or involvement on the part of the reader. I didn't care about Cassie because she never felt real or dimensional, though Marcy did from early on. There are a few plot elements in play that are obviously tied into the events of book one -- Sunshine for example -- that didn't make any impact on me, or would on other new readers. Still, this was modestly entertaining... if shallow and forgettable.

Review: The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden

Title: The Bear and the Nightingale
Author: Katherine Arden
Genre: retelling, historical fiction
Series: The Bear and the Nightingale #1
Pages: 336
Published: January 10 2017
Source: publishers via NetGalley
Rating: 4/5

At the edge of the Russian wilderness, winter lasts most of the year and the snowdrifts grow taller than houses. But Vasilisa doesn’t mind—she spends the winter nights huddled around the embers of a fire with her beloved siblings, listening to her nurse’s fairy tales. Above all, she loves the chilling story of Frost, the blue-eyed winter demon, who appears in the frigid night to claim unwary souls. Wise Russians fear him, her nurse says, and honor the spirits of house and yard and forest that protect their homes from evil.

After Vasilisa’s mother dies, her father goes to Moscow and brings home a new wife. Fiercely devout, city-bred, Vasilisa’s new stepmother forbids her family from honoring the household spirits. The family acquiesces, but Vasilisa is frightened, sensing that more hinges upon their rituals than anyone knows.

And indeed, crops begin to fail, evil creatures of the forest creep nearer, and misfortune stalks the village. All the while, Vasilisa’s stepmother grows ever harsher in her determination to groom her rebellious stepdaughter for either marriage or confinement in a convent.

As danger circles, Vasilisa must defy even the people she loves and call on dangerous gifts she has long concealed—this, in order to protect her family from a threat that seems to have stepped from her nurse’s most frightening tales.

Rich in atmosphere, mixing both the fantastical and the historical elements of old Russia, Katherine Arden's The Bear and the Nightingale makes for a strong and memorable debut novel. As the first in a series, the narrative spends quality amounts of time crafting this book's main character of Vasilisa, and also building the recognizable but magical world she inhabits with her large and mixed family. Drawing both on real world history and the beloved folklore of Vasilisa's home country, The Bear and the Nightingale is a well-crafted and enchanting mix of genres.

The fantastical elements of Vasya's life in the wilderness -- the rusalkas, domovoi, evil spirits and much more -- are balanced by the always harsh and realistic life eked out of Russia's unforgiving climate. Her family has known struggle and strife all her life but Vasya remains undaunted in her chosen role and place; a wild, free, uncompromising, and untameable girl. Her chief antagonist is the eponymous Bear of the title, but her secondary opponent arrives in the all-too-familiar form of religion, and religious, men. Vasya's struggle to save her family and home is complicated by the priest Konstantin's need to humble the proud young woman. It's a familiar story but Vasya fights -- for herself, for her home, and for so much more. 
 
The magical and the mundane aspects of The Bear and the Nightingale come together neatly under Arden's adept plotting and turns of phrase -- and at just the right time before the closing denouement. Her clever writing, strong and defined characters, and the enveloping atmosphere coalesce into a finely-tuned historical fantasy that won't quickly be forgotten. Only a few pacing and clarity issues kept it from a five-star read. This story is one that is rich and detailed; the characters, from its heroines to the human villains, are vibrant and dimensional people. It's remarkably easy to sink into (and enjoy) the story that Katherine Arden is unwinding with her series-opener.

Two Minute Review: Heartstone by Elle Katharine White

Title: Heartstone
Author: Elle Katharine White
Genre: fantasy, retelling
Series: N/A
Pages: 352
Published: expected January 17 2017
Source: publishers via edelweiss
Rating: 3.5/5

A debut historical fantasy that recasts Jane Austen’s beloved Pride & Prejudice in an imaginative world of wyverns, dragons, and the warriors who fight alongside them against the monsters that threaten the kingdom: gryphons, direwolves, lamias, banshees, and lindworms.

They say a Rider in possession of a good blade must be in want of a monster to slay—and Merybourne Manor has plenty of monsters.

Passionate, headstrong Aliza Bentaine knows this all too well; she’s already lost one sister to the invading gryphons. So when Lord Merybourne hires a band of Riders to hunt down the horde, Aliza is relieved her home will soon be safe again.

Her relief is short-lived. With the arrival of the haughty and handsome dragonrider, Alastair Daired, Aliza expects a battle; what she doesn’t expect is a romantic clash of wills, pitting words and wit against the pride of an ancient house. Nor does she anticipate the mystery that follows them from Merybourne Manor, its roots running deep as the foundations of the kingdom itself, where something old and dreadful slumbers . . . something far more sinister than gryphons.

It’s a war Aliza is ill-prepared to wage, on a battlefield she’s never known before: one spanning kingdoms, class lines, and the curious nature of her own heart.

Elle Katharine White infuses elements of Austen’s beloved novel with her own brand of magic, crafting a modern epic fantasy that conjures a familiar yet wondrously unique new world.

A creative mix of the fantasy genre and a beloved classic, Pride & Prejudice & Dragons & Wyverns -- I mean Heartstone -- by debut author Elle Katharine White is a fun and entertaining book for all kinds of readers. Fans of Jane Austen will see the familiar Regency atmosphere and society culture, the callbacks and plotlines set down by Pride & Prejudice influence. Fantasy readers will find the adventures steady in coming and featuring creatures like talking wyverns and dragons to keep interest high. A nice balance is struck, and while Heartstone is inspired by other stories, it is definitely an original.

The fantasy elements of Heartstone are admittedly more engaging than its Classic inspiration by virtue of talking, bonded dragons and gryphon battles. I did enjoy the P&P influence that extends throughout the entire narrative arc, but it also made some elements of the plot rather predictable. Don't get me wrong -- I shipped the main ship in every form (hate you, intrigued by you, love you) between Aliza and Daired, but we all knew where the romantic subplot was heading from the outset. The fantasy plots, on the other hand, are allowed much more leeway and exploration. 

The author adapts and blends the original story into her own engaging, fun creation but feels a tad overlong and a tad too easily predicted. Despite my few issues, and helped by dragons and wyverns and a good ship,  Heartstone was a fun read and a solid debut novel.

 

Review: A Song of War by Various

Title: A Song of War
Authors: Christian Cameron, Libbie Hawker, Kate Quinn, Vicky Alvear Shecter, Stephanie Thornton, SJA Turney, Russell Whitefield
Genre: historical and mythic fiction, retellings
Series: N/A
Pages: 483
Published: October 18 2016
Source: Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours for review
Rating: 4.5/5

Troy: city of gold, gatekeeper of the east, haven of the god-born and the lucky, a city destined to last a thousand years. But the Fates have other plans—the Fates, and a woman named Helen. In the shadow of Troy's gates, all must be reborn in the greatest war of the ancient world: slaves and queens, heroes and cowards, seers and kings . . . and these are their stories.

A young princess and an embittered prince join forces to prevent a fatal elopement.

A tormented seeress challenges the gods themselves to save her city from the impending disaster.

A tragedy-haunted king battles private demons and envious rivals as the siege grinds on.

A captured slave girl seizes the reins of her future as two mighty heroes meet in an epic duel.

A grizzled archer and a desperate Amazon risk their lives to avenge their dead.

A trickster conceives the greatest trick of all.

A goddess' son battles to save the spirit of Troy even as the walls are breached in fire and blood.

Seven authors bring to life the epic tale of the Trojan War: its heroes, its villains, its survivors, its dead. Who will lie forgotten in the embers, and who will rise to shape the bloody dawn of a new age?

Through a wide array of voices and perspectives and several hundred pages, these talented seven authors string together a cohesive and passionate overview of some of the most famous events of the ages. Carefully using some of the most familiar but ignored faces from inside the legendary city of Troy while also giving voice to a few of its relentless enemies, A Song of War deftly re-imagines and reinvents a new iteration of the oft-told story of Helen from the beginning to its end, while still staying true to the heart of the tale. 

Kate Quinn and Stephanie Thornton are two authors who excel at characterization and motivation for both known and new historical personalities, even when they are working with less than 70 pages to do so. The book begins with their contributions (The Apple is first and is followed by The Prophecy) and the POVs of Hellenus, Andromache and Cassandra are given new, believable life under their hands. The strong execution carried throughout A Song of War is laid down in its foundation here. These first two offerings are female-dominated stories, which means they choose to feature narration from characters largely ignored by Homer. Thanks to the skillful maneuvering of Quinn and Thornton, this beginning offers up a plausible and interesting new version of the inception to the famous story.

The middle contributions of this anthology-novel are similarly well-handled and fresh in both nature and choice of narration. Featuring a blend of skirmishes both bloody and political in scope across each Song, these additions are from both new and familiar authors. Russell Whitefield's contribution is a complex narrative that gives a distinct voice and creates some surprising empathy for a war-weary Agamemnon in The Sacrifice. This strong but careful approach to plotting  is continued in the pivotal battle between the hope of Troy, Prince Hector, and the savior of the Achaeans, Achilles, in Christian Cameron's subsequent The Duel. Libbie Hawker's addition of The Bow is a natural continuation of the previous momentum with the tale of Penthesilea and Achilles' end, and is one that manages to evoke new emotions from even the most familiar of scenes. 

A Song of War was never a story that was going to end happily, though not all the names featured were destined to die in Troy's fall. The ending may have been foretold and the body count is high, and yet the two remaining authors keep the emotion invested and the book's energy moving. Vicky Alvear Shecter's The Horse is of course centered on Achaean hero Odysseus, and sets the stage rather neatly for SJA Turney to complete the cycle with The Fall. These two tales are closely intertwined and happen so close together; reading Odysseus' unparalleled success against Diomedes is to see the glory of Troy begin to end. I also have to note that ending the anthology with Aeneas' escape is a clever and appropriate move for the two legends it connects. 

Starting with Pompeii in A Day of Fire and then followed by Boudicca's Rebellion in A Year of Ravens to the fall of Troy here with A Song of War, these historical anthologies have yet to disappoint me. By choosing to showcase opposing sides of a conflict or by characterizing a villain into more than one-note antagonist, they have routinely created believable and new versions of history and legend. Each book is an exercise in providing new interpretations of motivations for actions of famous figures to fit combined storylines and it has continuously succeeded. 

Blog Tour Schedule

Saturday, October 15
Review at Just One More Chapter
Review at Flashlight Commentary

Sunday, October 16
Review at Ageless Pages Reviews

Monday, October 17
Review at Leeanna.me

Tuesday, October 18
Review at A Book Drunkard

Wednesday, October 19
Excerpt at A Literary Vacation

Thursday, October 20
Review at Peeking Between the Pages

Friday, October 21
Review & Excerpt at The Silver Dagger Scriptorium

Saturday, October 22
Review at 100 Pages a Day

Monday, October 24
Review at Unabridged Chick

Tuesday, October 25
Interview at Unabridged Chick

Wednesday, October 26
Review at The Maiden’s Court

Friday, October 28
Review at History From a Woman’s Perspective

Monday, October 31
Review & Excerpt at Book Lovers Paradise

Tuesday, November 1
Review at Oh, for the Hook of a Book!

Wednesday, November 2
Interview at Oh, for the Hook of a Book!

Thursday, November 3
Review at Jorie Loves a Story

Monday, November 7
Review at A Bookish Affair

Tuesday, November 8
Interview at Let Them Read Books

Wednesday, November 9
Review at Historical Readings & Reviews

Friday, November 11

 Review at Broken Teepee
Spotlight at The Book Tree

Saturday, November 12

 Excerpt at The Reading Queen
Review at The True Book Addict

DNF Review: Nameless by Lili St. Crow

Title: Nameless
Author: Lili St. Crow
Genre: Fantasy, Retelling, Paranormal
Series: Tales of Beauty & Madness #1
Pages: 304
Published: April 4th, 2013
Source: Borrowed Library
Rating: DNF 27%

When Camille was six years old, she was discovered alone in the snow by Enrico Vultusino, godfather of the Seven—the powerful Families that rule magic-ridden New Haven. Papa Vultusino adopted the mute, scarred child, naming her after his dead wife and raising her in luxury on Haven Hill alongside his own son, Nico.

Now Cami is turning sixteen. She’s no longer mute, though she keeps her faded scars hidden under her school uniform, and though she opens up only to her two best friends, Ruby and Ellie, and to Nico, who has become more than a brother to her. But even though Cami is a pampered Vultusino heiress, she knows that she is not really Family. Unlike them, she is a mortal with a past that lies buried in trauma. And it’s not until she meets the mysterious Tor, who reveals scars of his own, that Cami begins to uncover the secrets of her birth... to find out where she comes from and why her past is threatening her now.

Coverlust betrays me again. You know how in reviews, we recommend authors "show, don't tell"? St. Crow has forgotten to do either in Nameless.

Ostensibly a Snow White retelling, Nameless takes place in an exceptionally complicated world that I can't begin to parse, much less correlate to the original story. Taking place in a post-apocolyptic future where a few cities remain, surrounded by Wastes, (which are bad for reasons,), Cami embarks on such interesting future activities as, "attending prep-school in traditional prep-school uniform", and "watching her brother hustle in a billiard hall". Occasionally there is "taking daddy's limo to the mall". Thrilling. Except daddy is a vampire, I'm sorry, member of the Family, who is dying his mortal death to arise as an immortal representative of the Seven Families. Still drinks blood though, although it took me entirely too long to realize that "whiskey and calf" meant calf blood. In addition to the sci-fi and vampire mythoses, every person in the city has Potential, an undefined magical power. But people with Potential and a lot of anger can Twist into...something. And then occasionally Twist even further into minotaurs? Then there are Jacks, who I thought were Twisted, but apparently they're an entirely separate entity that doesn't have enough Potential to Twist, though they all appear to have some sort of physical marking like gray skin? I never did figure out what the kin were. It's a lot you guys.

Oh, and Cinderella and Red Riding Hood are here too.

But I can handle weird world building and shoehorned references to the source material. (Cami is confronted by a strange jack who appears to be made of wood just so later in the story she can be told, "Don't be afraid of the woodman" and readers can go, "OH! Like woodsman from the original!") What I can't handle is the romance. Cami is adopted, yes. But she has no recollection of her life before he adoption. That means, for all intents and purposes, she and Nico have been siblings for her entire life. They talk about playing together, snuggling in a chair during storms, Nico creeping into Cami's bed when she has nightmares. To emphasize their sibling nature and then turn it around, "oh since he went to boarding school, Cami thinks he's hot as fuck and doesn't want to be his little sister anymore, so it's ok." Nope. It's not ok. Not at all. The relationship is creepy and imbalanced even before we consider Cami's human nature and Nico's immortal one.

What's more, the story gives no reason why the characters should have romantic feelings. Cami has zero character traits outside of her stutter. She's not brave or kind or independent. She's not passionate or political or charitable or anything that might make an infinitely older vampire interested in her. She has no hobbies or interests. I can't picture any scene that isn't implicitly on page, because the character doesn't actually exist. Nico is the same. He's rebelling against his place in the family, but there's no suggestion of what he'd rather do or what he studies. He's protective of Cami, but shockingly blasé about the lives of other humans. But this appears to be one of those YAs where people fall in deep, ever-lasting love, because they're both attractive and in the same location. (Caveat of course, I only read 82 pages and I suppose previously unexplored depths could be revealed in the later sections. I mean I doubt it, but it could have happened.)

It's a shame, Nameless has a completely different feel than other Snow White retellings and I wish its gothic promise had been revealed. Instead I felt I'd been dropped in the middle of a series and missed several hundred pages of background and nothing ever got out of first gear.

Series Review: A Wicked Thing by Rhiannon Thomas

Titles: 

A Wicked Thing

Kingdom of Ashes

Author: Rhiannon Thomas

Genre: Fantasy, retellings

Series: A Wicked Thing #1 and #2

Pages: 337 and 368

Published: 

February 2015

February 2016

Source: publishers via edelweiss

Rating: 

4/5

3/5

Rhiannon Thomas's dazzling debut novel is a spellbinding reimagining of Sleeping Beauty and what happens after happily ever after.

One hundred years after falling asleep, Princess Aurora wakes up to the kiss of a handsome prince and a broken kingdom that has been dreaming of her return. All the books say that she should be living happily ever after. But as Aurora understands all too well, the truth is nothing like the fairy tale.

Her family is long dead. Her "true love" is a kind stranger. And her whole life has been planned out by political foes while she slept.

As Aurora struggles to make sense of her new world, she begins to fear that the curse has left its mark on her, a fiery and dangerous thing that might be as wicked as the witch who once ensnared her. With her wedding day drawing near, Aurora must make the ultimate decision on how to save her kingdom: marry the prince or run.

Rhiannon Thomas weaves together vivid scenes of action, romance, and gorgeous gowns to reveal a richly imagined world … and Sleeping Beauty as she’s never been seen before.

This was a solid YA duology filled with magic and mayhem, curses and kisses, death and dragons. Rhiannon Thomas's fantasy slash fairytale remixes are fun, memorable and entertaining adaptations and inventions. Beginning with the after-ever part of Sleeping Beauty's Aurora's story in book one, the eponymous A Wicked Thing, and then following her to a new kingdom and plotline in Kingdom of Ashes, Thomas makes each book a well-rounded adventure with a hint of mystery and a lot of danger.

The first book is the somewhat the stronger of the two, but each has its own distinct plotline and the second  gives a real sense of resolution. A Wicked Thing does a great job of introducing this version of Aurora and the secondary characters that surround her; Kingdom of Ashes gives her plenty of room to grow and evolve in an ever more political situation, along with a few of the characters from before. One of the things I like most about Aurora is that she is always an active main character (though in a thoughtful, strategic manner rather than outright fighting) , even if she has made silly decisions for no plot reason.

Creative, inventive and original while still being recognizable as a retelling in nature, A Wicked Thing was a promising start for the series and this author. While the conclusion Kingdom of Ashes offered may have waxed a little long and overwrought, it was still a solid ending. The romance is a bit hit or miss but it's not overwhelming and there are some good scenes between Aurora and her various love interests. One twist in the second story was particularly telegraphed before the "reveal" but it's still very possible to have fun with both books. 

 

Review: Bright Smoke, Cold Fire by Rosamund Hodge

Title: Bright Smoke, Cold Fire
Author: Rosamund Hodge
Genre: fantasy, retelling
Series: Untitled #1
Pages: 448
Published: expected September 2016
Source: publishers via edelweiss
Rating: 4/5

When the mysterious fog of the Ruining crept over the world, the living died and the dead rose. Only the walled city of Viyara was left untouched.

The heirs of the city’s most powerful—and warring—families, Mahyanai Romeo and Juliet Catresou share a love deeper than duty, honor, even life itself. But the magic laid on Juliet at birth compels her to punish the enemies of her clan—and Romeo has just killed her cousin Tybalt. Which means he must die.

Paris Catresou has always wanted to serve his family by guarding Juliet. But when his ward tries to escape her fate, magic goes terribly wrong—killing her and leaving Paris bound to Romeo. If he wants to discover the truth of what happened, Paris must delve deep into the city, ally with his worst enemy . . . and perhaps turn against his own clan.

Mahyanai Runajo just wants to protect her city—but she’s the only one who believes it’s in peril. In her desperate hunt for information, she accidentally pulls Juliet from the mouth of death—and finds herself bound to the bitter, angry girl. Runajo quickly discovers Juliet might be the one person who can help her recover the secret to saving Viyara.

Both pairs will find friendship where they least expect it. Both will find that Viyara holds more secrets and dangers than anyone ever expected. And outside the walls, death is waiting. . . .

Rosmund Hodge has a hell of an imagination; it's impressive, inventive, and on display once again here with Bright Smoke, Cold Fire. She is an author that sees stories in ways others just don't, and from that unique vantage point she can figure out how to mash and combine and retell those stories in her own image. Be it Bluebeard mixed with Greek mythology and Beauty and the Beast or The Girl with No Hands and Norse mythology, her books are indelibly like none other. The same here is true with her zombie apocalypse and magic retelling of Romeo and Juliet. 

I have to admit this is an anti-black sheep alert! (White sheep? Would we just call that a sheep? I digress....) Most of my friends have been disappointed by Hodge's third book; about half DNF'd and half two-starred. And here I am, with my unabashed love for it. The beginning is cluttered and rough; the various families and their religions and politics are confusing. I didn't care: I loved it and had so much fun with these reworked characters.

This is the most I have ever liked the story of Romeo and Juliet -- they were teens who knew each other for days before dying IT'S NOT A REAL ROMANCE -- so maybe it's the  inclusion of the zombies? Maybe it's the stone-cold badass that is the Juliet, full of life and passion and agency? Or maybe it's Romeo and Paris acting like CSI investigators with a psychic mind link? Maybe it's Hodge's unique and creative worldbuilding? Or maybe it's all the gay headcanons this book seems to beg for. I dunno. I just really, really dug this.

Series Review: The Tales Trilogy by G.R. Mannering

Title:

Roses

Feathers

Author: G.R. Mannering

Genre: fantasy, retellings

Series: The Tales Trilogy #1 and #2

Pages:

Roses: 328

Feathers: 288

Published: June 7 2016

Source: publishers via edelweiss

Ratings: 

1.75/5

1.25/5 

She bears no name. Her silvery appearance is freakish to the numerous inhabitants of Sago, the cosmopolitan capital of Pevorocco in the Western Realm. With her mother vanishing at the instance of her birth, she is sent to live with the cruel, rich Ma Dane, where she is punished daily for something, though she knows not what. Tauntingly named Beauty, she flees Sago in a violent uprising that sets out to massacre all Magics and journeys to the farthest point of the country.

But Beauty cannot hide in the grassy Hillands forever. Before long, the State officials find her and threaten to take her back to war-torn Sago where death surely awaits. In a midnight blizzard she escapes them, running into a deep, enchanted forest to a great and terrible beast who will bargain for her life.

But can Beauty accept Beast? Eternity is a long time. Now for the first time in paperback, Roses is sure to capture your heart as you fall in love with Beauty and her Beast all over again.

For readers 12+, this is a very imaginative, fantasy retelling of a classic fairy tale, which is still popular to the YA genre. With lessons about bullying others and falling in love, this is not only a light, fun read but also engages kids to think about their relationship to others in the real world.

There seem to be more and more fairy tale retellings appearing lately and G.R. Mannering's new fantasy series is set on retelling several old favorite tales, to small and varying degrees of success. The first book, Roses, is a new take on Beauty and the Beast story and it's not exactly a perfect first outing. Despite misgivings about the style of the novels and the writing itself, I was willing to take a chance on the second novel's attempt at retelling Swan Lake, but there found even less to enjoy. Each novel was a lackluster effort at originality and feel plodding  instead of fresh and new.

There were kernels of originality to be found in each book; enough to keep me reading instead of DNFing, at least. I especially liked that the Swan Lake retelling of book two, Feathers, genderbent the roles and got somewhat creative in general. Feathers overall did better at executing new ideas and including new inspirations to the story, but faltered more when it came to the technical aspects of the novel itself. Both books suffer from slow and confusing beginnings and rushed endings that provide little resolution for readers or characters.

The worldbuilding in the series is slim, even after it should, supposedly, have been expanded over the two novels into something substantial. It's so slight as to be nonexistent or otherwise just egregiously generic fantasy. Even for the younger readers this series may be aimed at, "Westernlands" and "Hillands" and "Magical Cleansing" are such broad, ill-defined elements for a fantasy novel. There's no feel of culture, history, or atmosphere to be found. It's an empty story operating in an echo chamber. There's no depth to this world, so there's even less reason to invest in Ode or Beauty's stories.

There are some tired and problematic tropes to be found in these two novels (the less said about Ode and Briar's "relationship" the better...), and each proceed pretty much as expected. There's less invention and more time spent on corny dialogue than desired. The reliance on staid tropes and uninspired stereotypes severely hampers the execution and leaves the Tales Trilogy a half-hearted effort. Even though the second novel ends on a cliffhanger, I can say I won't be tuning in for the third outing in this fairytale retelling series.