Bibliophile Support Group

Another Throwback Review, this time from February 2012. Take a looksie: The Game of Triumphs is a YA urban fantasy by Laura Powell. Fifteen-year-old Cat is on her way home, doing her best to avoid human contact as always, when she can’t help but notice a man being chased – a man that asks for her help. But Cat sees the gleam of excitement in his eyes, along with the fear, and figures he’s just a weirdo. Yet something about it all sparks her curiosity, and Cat can’t seem to help pursuing the situation. Doing so brings her to an extravagant party that introduces her to the Game of Triumphs. It’s a centuries-old game played between modern-day London and an alternate, unexplainable reality called the Arcanum where game players embark on challenges having to do with the tarot cards they are dealt, or the card they are trying to win. It’s all a bit confusing to Cat at first, but the intrigue is undeniable. Not long after becoming involved in this enigmatic game, though...

Another throwback review this week! This one was posted originally in July 2009 and is still one of my favorites! Here ya go: Eyes Like Stars in the first book by Lisa Mantchev in the Theatre Illuminata trilogy. Bertie lives on a stage. Her friends are fairies from A Midsummer Night’s Dream . Her crush is Nate, a pirate from The Little Mermaid . And her childhood friend and now frenemie is Ariel, a hunky spirit from The Tempest . That’s right. On the stage Bertie lives on, all those characters from all those plays? They’re alive and bursting with drama. And not just the characters from Shakespeare. Every single play that has ever been written is represented in The Book. The Book that makes all of this possible. The Book that creates the magic. But Bertie isn’t one of these characters; the theatre has taken her in, with a rather murky explanation as to why. It is her home. The only place she knows. However, Bertie isn’t the most gracious of guests. She can’t seem...

Psych: A Mind is a Terrible to Read is a contemporary mystery based on the USA television series and written by William Rabkin. Brilliantly showing up a detective in court by causing someone other than the defendant to confess to a murder, therefore throwing out the whole case, is not the best way to get in someone’s good graces. Though Shawn, man-child of excellent deduction skills who has convinced most of Santa Barbara that he is actually psychic, may be convinced that the end justifies the means in this case, the detective in question is not so sure. In fact, he’s so irritated that he gets Gus, Shawn’s best friend since childhood, and Shawn’s car impounded over something as silly as eighty-seven parking tickets. Petty man! But when the duo go to pick up the car, they find they’ve stumbled across a criminal conspiracy and nearly get run over by a Mercedes. Not that surprising, really. Once Gus wakes up in the hospital, not only does he find himself in the...

Illuminae is the first book of the YA futuristic sci-fi thriller series The Illuminae Files by Amie Kaufman and Jay Krisftoff. It started off like a day like any other in the year 2575 on the human inhabited planet of Kerenza. Kady had made the difficult decision to break up with her boyfriend Ezra – and she thought that would be the toughest thing about the day. She didn’t realize her planet would be attacked that afternoon, the victim of two rival mega-corporations battling over the tiny speck of universe they called their home. There was no warning before nearly everything was on fire and people were dying all around them. Suddenly she and her ex, barely speaking since that morning, are forced to flee together – in a desperate attempt to evacuate the planet. Yet even once they are off Kerenza, it is not the end of the nightmare. There is a warship after their refugee fleets. There’s mysterious talk of quarantines. And the AI that is supposed to be keeping them safe may actuall...

The Unnaturalists is a YA alt-Victorian steampunk novel by Tiffany Trent. Fascinated with her father’s work in the Museum of Unnatural History, Vespa Nyx enjoys spending her days cataloging the Unnatural creatures of their world. Yet her unusual hobby is growing less and less socially acceptable as she nears seventeen and is expected to be a respectable young lady with marriage prospects. Just when Vespa is beginning to sullenly accept her tedious fate, strange accidents begin to happen at the museum and she finds herself running into a young Tinker boy that believes she has a role to play in the future of New London – as a witch. But witchcraft is the worst possible violation in New London and punishable by death… As a fan of steampunk, I was very excited to read The Unnaturalists and had been wanting to for quite some time. Tiffany Trent excellently presents a fleshed out alternative world with magical creatures, various cultures and even a legend of how New London came ...

The School for Good and Evil: The Last Ever After is the final book in the middle grade fantasy trilogy by Soman Chainani. As a huge fan of The School for Good and Evil and The School for Good and Evil: A World Without Princes , I pre-ordered this last book. If you have not read the prior two books, I would strongly suggest avoiding this review for any potential spoilers – the books are too good to spoil!! I am trusting that you are not continuing to read unless you are already a fan… Back in Gavaldon, Agatha is happy that her prince, Tedros, is not really a prince in her hometown – and neither is she a future queen. Yet, very quickly, she begins to doubt their Ever After. Part of the problem is that Tedros and Agatha’s story has not truly finished yet – it is still being written. Their tale is still connected with Agatha’s old best friend, Sophie. Now enemies with Agatha, Sophie has embraced the now young School Master, whom has convinced her of their love and that love o...

A World without Princes is the second book in the middle grade fantasy trilogy The School for Good and Evil by Soman Chainani. As you may recall from my review of The School for Good and Evil , I absolutely LOVED book one. I strongly, strongly suggest reading these books in order. If you have not done so already – run, don’t walk, to a copy of The School for Good and Evil. In the meantime, avoid this review of book two for potential spoilers of book one. If, however, you have devoured The School for Good and Evil already – feel free to proceed in learning about A World without Princes . Best friends Sophie and Agatha have returned to their hometown of Gavaldon to live out their Happily Ever After. But things don’t seem as perfect as they expected… When Agatha secretly wishes she chose a different happy ending – with Tedros – she inadvertently reopens the gateway from Gavaldon to the School for Good and Evil. And it’s not at all the way they left it. Inextricably changed...

Mark of the Thief is a YA historical fantasy adventure novel by Jennifer A. Nielsen. A slave in the mines of ancient Rome, Nic dreams of freedom for himself and his sister. Yet, instead, he faces certain death as he is forced to enter the recently located cavern allegedly containing the hidden treasures of Julius Caesar. Amidst the jewels and gold is an artifact, a bulla, which has extraordinary magical power – something that some Romans would kill for. Managing to survive the dangerous cavern, Nic is now armed with this bulla and his determination is freedom – however, his possession of this powerful object places him in a conspiracy to overthrow the emperor. To save Rome, Nic must learn how to use his new powers and figure out who he can trust… The beginning of Mark of the Thief reminded me of a Roman version of Aladdin. Felt a little familiar, though adding in a griffin to protect the treasure was a bit more fantastical. I loved Nielsen’s Ascendance Trilogy , but for...

The Witch Hunter is a YA fantasy novel by debut author Virginia Boecker. Elizabeth Grey has worked hard, training her slender frame into one of the king’s best witch hunters – meant to locate those practicing witchcraft and bring them to justice. So, when Elizabeth is accused of being a witch herself – she knows the future that lies ahead of her. Fire and death. Clinging to the fact that she is innocent, she grows increasingly ill as she waits in her cell – sure that one of her fellow witch hunters will free her. Instead the very last person she ever expected to show up arrives: Nicholas Perevil, one of the most wanted, most powerful wizards in the kingdom. He offers her freedom in exchange for her help to break a curse that has been placed upon him – a curse that is killing him. Suddenly thrust into the other side of the world she has been living in, Elizabeth finds herself among witches, ghosts, pirates and an uncomfortably attractive healer. Everything she is meant to hunt...

Coraline is a middle grade contemporary fantasy by Neil Gaiman. Perhaps you’ve already read Coraline . Perhaps you are wondering, “How on earth could a self-proclaimed bibliophile have not yet read this modern classic?” Perhaps I am wondering the same thing. Yet this is an issue that has been rectified! In Coraline’s new flat there is a door that when opened reveals nothing but a wall of bricks. Yet being the young adventurer she is, Coraline tries it again another day and instead finds it is an entrance to another house – a house just like hers but better. Instead of always working and being very busy, these new versions of her parents want to spend time with her and want her to stay with them on this side of the door. Coraline, though, wonders why. There appears to be something sinister and secretive beneath the improved surface of this mirror house – and Coraline will have to use her wits and her nerve to save herself. I can’t say my summary of the premise of Cora...

How to Navigate Zombie Cave and Defeat Pirate Pete is a middle grade humorous horror novel by Mick Bogerman. Mick Bogerman is a typical 12-year-old boy. That is, the kind that is determined to fight off zombies with a pitchfork and locate long-lost pirate gold, all the while doing everything he can to avoid gagging on the smell. And if this is an endeavor that interests you, Mick is happy to provide this “how to”, which regales his experience and the tips he’d provide. Time to get some pirate gold! How to Navigate Zombie Cave and Defeat Pirate Pete is the first in Slug Pie Story series narrated by Mick Bogerman. It’s a fast paced, gory, gross, funny debut that made me wince and laugh at the same time. I can see 12-year-old boys loving it, or anyone with a penchant for middle grade horror, such as the Goosebumps series. This first outing is not as substantial or story driven as I prefer and ended up feeling a bit forgettable, but I am happy to say that I personally feel ...

The Hero of Ages is the third novel in the high fantasy Mistborn trilogy by Brandon Sanderson. This is a highly, highly serialized trilogy – so I strongly recommend you read Mistborn and The Well of Ascension before The Hero of Ages , or even this review of The Hero of Ages . It has been a year since Vin located the legendary Well of Ascension. A year since she made the fateful, selfless decision to free the power that was imprisoned there. A year since she found out that was the wrong choice. Now, earthquakes shake the land, ash pours from the sky heavier than ever and the mists have grown larger, stay longer and are killing people. Vin, Elend and the rest of Kelsier’s crew have overcome the thousand year reign of the Lord Ruler, fought impossible battles and sought freedom for Skaa and Noble alike – but how can they fight this? Shaken and frustrated that the answer they had been seeking at the Well ended up being trickery that only worsened everything – all they can...

The True Meaning of Smekday is a middle grade sci-fi contemporary humor novel by Adam Rex. Hoo Boy! I think I’m in love!!! When young Gratuity (Tip) Tucci is assigned a school five-page essay to explain the true meaning of Smekday (previously Christmas, now the day the first aliens invaded and renamed Christmas), she ends up writing a WHOLE LOT MORE than five pages. Instead we get the full story of just what happened to Tip when she determined to find her Mom as the aliens stated that all American humans must migrate to Florida, how she joined forces with the alien J.Lo and kept track of her cat, Pig. I can’t really imagine saying more without giving away too much laugh-out-loud goodness! The True Meaning of Smekday is AWESOME!!! It’s very funny – yet also has enough seriousness and legitimate emotion to have a level of care and investment in the characters to make it, well, all the more AWESOME! I absolutely adored J.Lo – a hilarious, adorable, lovable alien that pr...

Stardust is an adult fairytale by Neil Gaiman. When the beautiful, unattainable Victoria states that the only thing Tristran Thorne could do to win her hand would be to bring her the star they watched falling from the sky – Tristran is determined to do it. However, this means venturing beyond the relative normalcy of their village Wall and slipping into the unexplored, magical faerie land outside it. Past the ancient wall that has guarded their town from the oddities and dangers of the enchanted realm, Tristran must keep his head as adventures and perils meet him that he could never have imagined… Stardust was my first Neil Gaiman book! I’ve heard of Neil Gaiman forever – and being a lover of quirky, clever books I thought it was about time I tried him out. I have to say – Stardust was a bloody, unique, adventurous adult fairytale that was quite interesting and very good. I wouldn’t say it was as FANTASTIC as I expected – but that could be partially because of my high exp...

Mistborn is the first book in the high fantasy epic The Final Empire trilogy by Brandon Sanderson. Sixteen-year-old Vin knows that you cannot trust anyone. Her mother tried to kill her. Her brother abandoned her. And now, in order to survive, she works with a group of poor Skaa thieves – the group leader utilizing her as a sort of “good luck charm”, due to her strange ability to be able to make people less scrupulous than normal. Kelsier is a Mistborn that Snapped after a sequence of terrible incidents. Now he’s using his abilities and brash confidence to begin an uprising against the tyrannical thousand year reign of the Lord Ruler. But how do you get a people – the Skaa – to stand up and fight after they’ve no will to do so any longer? When Vin meets Kelsier, her life dramatically changes. She is roped into their planned rebellion – a scheme that is so outlandish to Vin she can hardly believe they’re attempting it – and is told that these odd powers she has are actually the re...

Frostfire is a contemporary fantasy by Amanda Hocking, as well as the start of the Kanin Chronicles . As an outcast in the powerful troll tribe of Kanin, her half-breed heritage betraying Bryn with something as simple as her blonde hair, there has been one thing she has been determined to do: climb up the ladder of success as a tracker to eventually become one of the King’s Guard elite. When a shocking attempt on her father’s life occurs during her first official tracker duty, that aim is met with another strong aspiration – to catch, and potentially kill, Konstantin, whom before the startling incident was a rising star in the King’s Guard and a secret crush of Bryn’s. Now, four years later, Bryn and all of Kanin are rattled by the kidnapping of changelings. And when a connection to Konstantin is made, will Bryn sacrifice one of her goals for the other? Frostfire appears to be a spinoff of a successful prior Amanda Hocking series called the Trylle Trilogy . I have to say ...

The Well of Lost Plots is the third book in the book lover’s fantasy series Thursday Next by Jasper Fforde. Though it’s been said that these books stand well on their own – I still STRONGLY recommend reading them in order. That means The Eyre Affair first, Lost in a Good Book second and THEN The Well of Lost Plots . To avoid any potential spoilers for the first two books, I also recommend not reading this review unless you’ve read the prior novels. Deal? After burning some serious bridges at her Spec Ops-27 Literary Detective job, being pursued by the power-mad Goliath Corporation and continuing to carry the child of a husband that no longer exists, Thursday had to get away. Where better to get away than inside a book? Being one of the rare individuals that has entered BookWorld as a non-fictional character, Thursday has been granted permission to participate in the Character Exchange program – allowing a character in the unpublished Caversham Heights go on holiday while T...

Angelic Upstart is a YA contemporary fantasy – and third book in the Alex Trueman trilogy – by Martin Dukes. To fully appreciate and enjoy this trilogy, I strongly recommend reading these books in order. First there is Caught in a Moment and then Worm Winds of Zanzibar . If you haven’t read them yet, to prevent being spoiled – don’t read this review! Instead, click on those titles to begin reading about Alex Trueman’s adventures! I’m trusting that the only bibliophiles still reading are caught up with the series… Returning to normalcy is not as easy as you’d think. Not for Alex. After first spending a horrific, mind-bending time in the time-frozen world of Intersticia and then an alternate version of Zanzibar, not to mention the angelic realm of Elysium, normalcy is, well, boring… Plus, he’s been encouraged to cease using his abilities. While his friends adapt back to their reality, Alex struggles – and eventually gets involved with a mysterious, fascinating archangel ...

Lost in a Good Book is an adult fantasy, sci-fi, bibliophile’s dream by Jasper Fforde. It is also the second book in the Thursday Next series – the first of which was The Eyre Affair , read my review here . Truly these books transcend genres and are just stunning achievements in creativity and surrealism. I strongly, strongly recommend reading The Eyre Affair before Lost in a Good Book . Deal??? Thursday – renowned Special Operative in literary detection - is happily married and resting after a duel to the death with dangerous criminal and murderer Acheron Hades. Yet the massive Goliath Corporation – with far too many strongholds in the government – has not forgotten how Thursday entered Jane Eyre to accomplish her feat. Nor have they forgotten to pursue the means of doing so themselves. In order to blackmail Thursday into releasing one of their errant employees – Jack Schitt – from the The Raven, Goliath eradicates someone Thursday loves dearly – leaving her as the only r...

Princess of Thorns is a YA fantasy Sleeping Beauty retelling by Stacey Jay. Sleeping Beauty’s story did not end with Happily Ever After. Instead, she sacrificed her life in the arms of her seven year old daughter Aurora in order to give Aurora her fairy magic – and a chance to survive the coup of the murderous ogres. Now, ten years later, Aurora has learned that magic always has an unexpected, bitter result – and though it has given her excellent fighting skills and a merciful heart, it also has barred her from ever having true romantic love. When her younger brother, Jor, is captured by the Ogre Queen, she sets off to raise an army to rescue him while dressed as a boy and hunted by the Ogre Queen’s followers. Meanwhile, Prince Niklaas is searching for Aurora – his life depends on it. A curse laid down by his own father leaves him with only days before his fateful eighteenth birthday – a birthday that will claim his humanity, as it did his ten older brothers. His only hope...