Thank you for stopping by our blog for the Falling Kingdoms blog tour.

A story of three neighbouring kingdoms and the young people who are caught up in a brewing war, all because of a reckless display of power by an arrogant young lord that resulted in the death of a wineseller's son.

Princess Cleo of Auranos witnessed the whole thing. She could have prevented the tragedy, but she didn't. Now, bearing the guilt of an innocent death, Cleo is sneaking back to Paelsia to chase after a legend to cure her dying sister.

A dangerous endeavour, since Jonas Agallon will hunt her down if he knows she is back in his territory. Jonas, who swears to avenge his brother's death, is planting the seeds of a revolution and forming an alliance between Paelsia and Limeros to take on the wealthy and abundant Auranos.

The focus of Limeros' King Gaius though is not so much on the impending war but on a prophecy surrounding her daughter Lucia that is supposed to come true when she turns sixteen. He is starting to have doubt and is getting impatient, but it's only because Lucia hasn't revealed to him what she is turning into.

The only person she can confide in is her dear brother Magnus, but lately, he seems aloof and temperamental. Little does she know that Magnus suffers everytime he sees her, struggling with growing feelings towards his very own sister.

Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes (pen name for Michelle Rowen) is a very readable high fantasy, and readers will easily immerse themselves in this world of political intrigue. The chapters alternate among the three kingdoms, and as the story builds to a crescendo, you eagerly await the inevitable collision of the characters. The cast is a bit uneven though. Cleo and Jonas are much more proactive characters that are fueled with a strong purpose, and the other two pale in comparison and it's difficult to sympathize with everyone's stories. Scenes that should make a bigger emotional impact often felt rushed or came out of nowhere, so they are not as convincing as they can be. I also wish the book will explore and expand on the magic mentioned, but overall, it's a good start to a series.


This book is quite different from the kinds of books we usually talk about on this blog, so just to add a note from our blog's perspective, even though the Assassin's Creed like character on the cover may suggest a promising read for boys, the melodramatic romantic scenes and the overarching theme of forbidden love can be off-putting to some.

Thank you to Razorbill, Penguin Canada, for providing the advanced copy of Falling Kingdoms and inviting us to join the blog tour. Visit the official website.

If you are tired of waiting for the Song of Fire and Ice series to finish up, have watched all the episodes of the TV show and are looking for another epic fantasy series, why not try Jim Butcher’s Codex Alera series?  It’s not quite as intense as George R.R. Martin’s series, but it is fun.  There are two great things about it: first, the series is finished, so you don’t have to wait for the next book to come out, and second, it was written as a bet.  Jim Butcher was challenged on an online writers’ forum that he could write a book based on a bad idea.  Butcher took up the challenge, upping the ante to two bad ideas.  Those ideas?  The Lost Roman Legion and, of all things,  Pokémon.

Set in an Imperial Roman style world.  All humans have one or more "furies" magical creatures who are associated with the major classical elements of Earth, Air, Fire, and Water with metal and wood tossed in for good measure.  These furies allow their "crafters" to manipulate their respective elements for various purposes.  Watercrafters can help heal, serving as doctors.  Firecrafters can manipulate emotions, etc.  The more furies one has control of grants people Citizenship in the Empire, with all duties and privileges that entails.  And then there's Tavi.  He has no furies, and is the only one in the world not to.  Guess who the hero is?


 

I realize that this series isn't new.  In fact, it finished in 2009.  However, the most interesting part is how it came to be.  That alone is a great selling point.  It doesn't hurt that the books are pretty entertaining on top of it.  

Lisa McMann, author of the popular teen series The Wake Trilogy, moved into the kidlit world with her Unwanteds series. The first book, which came out in August 2011, introduced us to a town called Quill where creativity is forbidden and anyone showing signs of it will be named an "unwanted" and sent to die at the Death Farm. Alex, one of the Unwanteds, thought he's going to die at the age of 13, unlike his twin brother Aaron, who is going to attend a prestigious university to be trained to be a government official. Instead, Alex discovered the secret world of Artime, right next door to Quill but cloaked by magic, where residents embrace their creative powers, train them up and transform them into combat skills. At the end of the first book, with the archvillain defeated and the Quill government overthrown, there's no need to hide Artime anymore.

The second book begins with Alex struggling with his new responsibilities and believing in himself, being singled out as a possible successor to his mentor Marcus, the creator of Artime. Meanwhile, his twin Aaron, who has lost all power because of the co-existence of Quill and Artime, is plotting his revenge against his brother and all of Artime by inciting all the disgruntled Quill residents.  And in the midst of the brewing conflict are a boy and a girl, who came to Artime unconscious on a sinking raft, each of them wearing "a thick band made of metal thorns that weave(s) in and out of the skin around their necks". Where did these mysterious visitors come from?

Even though the promo quote on the cover says this book is "Hunger Games meets Harry Potter", the magical part is more prevalent throughout the two books. Awesome covers and generous spacing between lines will appeal to readers who like fantasy but don't want to feel overwhelmed, and once the story is set into motion, it is non-stop action and chaos and you can't read fast enough to find out what is going to happen next and who can be trusted. It does take some time for things to get started, but I think the characters are likable enough that you wouldn't mind getting to know them a bit more. Eagerly waiting for the third book.

(We're going to take a reader's suggestion (thanks!) and start reviewing books for the preteen crowd too. Here's our first review.) 

"It was over coffee and biscuits that Grandma Ives offered to return Cameron’s father from the dead."
Okay, who can resist and is not be intrigued by a first line like that?

When his dad was found dead by the beach, Cameron went to live with his grandma, whom he's met maybe once or twice. Before they get to know each other, she offers to resurrect his dad.
Grandma Ives is not your ordinary grandmother type. There is nothing warm and fuzzy about her, but she does know about The Daemon Parallel, a hidden world that co-exists with Edinburgh, and she knows spells that can raise the dead. That's just what Cameron needs. He misses his dad, and he wants to figure out the cause of his mysterious death, but first, we'll have to see if Cameron has inherited the special powers that will enable him to travel back and forth between the two worlds, to deal with the daemons, and to help his grandma get the right ingredients to complete the resurrection spell.

This impressive debut novel has just the right blend of action, mystery, adventure, magic, supernatural, humour and character development.  Most of all, I was surprised at how "right sounding" the voice of Cameron is. The things he said are exactly the kinds of stuff I'd expect a kid to say. Despite the title and perhaps the cover, the book doesn't rely on just grossness or goriness to carry the story, even though you will encounter many daemons in the book, and underneath all the fantastical elements is a boy who is trying to figure out if he's doing the right thing or not. And what a gutsy ending! Not going to spoil it for you, but throughout the book, I was thinking, is the author really going to do that? No way. It's just a red herring I'm sure. No, wait, he's really going there. Nice.

I must say this is becoming one of my favourite series. I previously posted a review on the first book of the series (A World Without Heroes) -- and this second book is going to receive another glowing report.

Jason manages to return to the magical world of Lyrian (yes, through the hippo's mouth again) after unwillingly returning home and spending several months worrying about Rachel and the others he's left behind. With the evil ruler Maldor growing in power, unrest and danger have increased -- and Jason has become Maldor's most wanted enemy. Jason knows he must warn the Blind King, Galloran, that the magical word supposed to destroy Maldor is a fake, and find Rachel without getting caught. This proves difficult though, with Maldor's almost invincible lurkers tracking him.

Fortunately, Jason manages to reunite with Galloran, Rachel and others on his side. They decide the best course of action is to rally up as many people as they can to fight against Maldor -- but this means traveling through dangerous territory, fighting zombie-like creatures, surviving attacks from tentacled swamp monsters and confronting a dangerous wizard. There's even more action in this sequel than the first book.

Brandon Mull has done a great job in creating a fascinating fantasy world with with intriguing creatures. Many of the characters in the previous book appear again here, and as they become more developed, you can't help but become increasingly attached to them. Many of them are definitely complex and mysterious enough to keep you on your toes. I found myself completely immersed in the book and wishing the story wouldn't end. It's one of those great adventures that you almost wished you were a part of in reality.

Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim came out in November, but I didn't get it until Christmas.  Since then, I've played around 87 hours (as of this morning; the only game I've played longer is Pokemon) and still have a long way to go before I can feel like I finished it.  It's an all-absorbing Tolkieneqsue world, with elves, humans and various other races trying to live together in a medieval world of castles, forts, magic and long lost treasures. Tamriel, a perfect world for a fantasy novel.

So with all this on my mind, I picked up The Elder Scrolls: Lord of Souls.  At first I didn't realize that it was the second of two, so it was a little odd jumping into the middle of the story, but it still worked.  Because the first book set up all the characters already, it pretty much went right into the action, but since this is how the games work, too, it didn't bother me that much.

A weird floating city called Umbriel from the Gods' land of Oblivion has crossed over to Tamriel and is drifting towards the Imperial City with no known purpose.  Umbriel is populated by what appear to be normal people, but are tied to the city somehow and are unable to leave without turning to dust. Wherever the city passes above, dead bodies from to country below are reanimated and form a massive army that hacks its way forward, following the city's path.

The plot follows several pairs of characters, including the crown prince of Tamriel and his bodyguard, an Imperial agent and his friend, and two Tamriel citizens trapped aboard the floating city, as they try to stop Umbriel from destroying their home and world they love.

The story isn't at all related to the events of any of the games.  Only the locations, mythos and races are rooted in the game world.  It helps to have played them to get a good grounding; I'm not sure if it would be quite as successful as a standalone story as Bioshock or Fable.  (Both of which have new games coming out this year.  Perfect time for a tie-in.)

Conor is sitting in his living room watching TV one day, when two mounted warriors charge in, attempt to kill him with a spear and then take him and his father captive. He wakes up in the ancient magical land of Tir Na Nog -- a world of talking trees, spells, and mythical creatures like banshees and imps. It turns out that his mother, who he believed was dead, is a exiled sorceress (and alive), and his father is a runaway prince of Ti Na Nog. A prophecy has stated that Conor is dangerous to this magical world and, indeed, it seems that everywhere Conor turns, someone is out to get him (particularly his dad's evil brother). Fortunately he finds some allies in a banshee named Fergal, the princess Essa and Araf (an imp) who joins him in his journey to find his parents and the Fillilands, where he will be safe from his attackers.

This book got my attention because a commentator stated that the story was like Percy Jackson being "hurled across the dimensions into Middle Earth"... I think a lot of us are on the lookout for a YA series (or single novel) with the action, humor and good plotlines of Riodan's books, and of course, I decided to give this a try.  It does has a fairly light-hearted mood and there are some funny moments (mostly funny thoughts or comments by Conor), but I didn't find the characters or magical world as interesting as the ones in Percy Jackson and the Olympians series. They just didn't have the same intrigue and depth. While the plot doesn't move quite as quickly as Riodan's, it does jump into the action right away -- the book opens with Conor already captured and asking questions about why people are trying to kill him. The story was intriguing at some points, but a bit too predictable for me. More avid readers, and especially those who have read a lot of fantasy, might not find this substantial enough.

All in all, I wouldn't say this is a Percy Jackson equivalent, but reads alright as a light fantasy, and I'd recommend it to those looking for a quick, simple read.

It's not often these days that I come across a fantasy novel that I would stay up past my bedtime to read. I was happy to discover that Beyonders is one of these books.

Jason is just a regular high middle school kid who loves baseball and animals. While volunteering at the zoo one day, he hears strange music coming from the hippo and falls into its mouth... and into the world of Lyrian. In his attempt to find his way back to his world, he stumbles on a creepy book bound in skin (complete with a blinking human eye) and learns about a magical word that will defeat the evil magician currently ruling Lyrian. He is suddenly being hunted down by soldiers, giant boarhounds, and other scary creatures and embarks on a quest to find all the syllables of the magical word before he is disposed of. Along the way he is joined by Rachel, another girl from his world who has also been mysteriously transported to Lyrian, and Farin, a creature who can detach his limbs at will. To find the syllables, they must battle man eating crabs, get across a quicksand lake, survive a treacherous swamp full of poisonous snakes and bugs, all the while trying to evade the evil magician's minions.

I was a bit wary at first since the idea of falling into a hippo's mouth seemed a bit far-fetched, but as a read on, I found that the plot moved well and that the magical world was definitely intriguing enough to keep me interested. The characters are complex enough that you're not always sure whether they are good or bad, and there's a great twist at the end. ( I don't want to reveal too much or I'll spoil it for those of you who might read this book!) While this is often classified under children's fantasy, I would recommend it to teens looking for a fast paced, easy to read fantasy.

Brandon Mull is also the author of the Fablehaven series (which I am now planning to read as well). This is the first in the Beyonders series, and I can't wait to read the sequel...

There are books that are great for boys, and there are books that seem great for teen boys, but there is just something about them that I can't recommend.  I know that there is a feeling that we should never restrict what boys (or anyone for that matter) should read.  That's okay; if they want it and are interested in it, fine.  I will never stop them from taking it or reading it.  But I will not actively recommend something I can't stand behind for whatever reason.

Lev Grossman's novel is rightly compared to Harry Potter, the Chronicles of Narnia and other fantasy works.  All the hallmarks are there:  Normal kid Quentin finds out he's a magician.  His favorite books, set in the world of "Fillory", are an analogue of C.S. Lewis's works.  It sounds exciting, and it should be.

But this is Literary Fantasy, so the setup and premise is misleading.  This isn't about magic, really.  It's about how bleak life can be.  It's about how true love doesn't solve everything.  It's about how have the freedom to do anything usually ends up making you do nothing, or worse, doing something destructive.  It's about being lost and aimless in life, and how having all your dreams come true means that you have no dreams left.  I'm not a fan of literary fiction; I prefer genre fiction and non-fiction.  I like to be entertained, not depressed.

So why don't I recommend it, since it has many of the same themes as a lot of literary fiction?  I always try to suggest material that has a strong plot that drives the story.  I find that boys prefer plot-driven stories over character studies.  I know I do, and I'm a boy. The problem here is that The Magicians doesn't even have a plot until the final third (a pretty good one, actually, for what it's worth). So much of the book is just an exploration of Quentin's young adulthood.  And he's a bit of a jerk, too.  I didn't find him particularly likable.

This book has been called a 'real life' Harry Potter.  I always wonder why there is such an emphasis on 'real life' in YA and literary books in general.  I never was a drug addict or an alcoholic.  I never experienced physical or emotional abuse.  I was and remain comfortably middle class.  Most kids I grew up with grew up like me.  This isn't all in this book, but it is in the broader genre of literary fiction.  This stuff isn't real life to me, so I couldn't really relate the themes and events of the story.

What would I recommend instead? Try Tom Holt or Terry Brooks' Magic Kingdom for Sale.  Both feature regular Joes who find themselves in a magic world, but both are more plot-centric and certainly contain fewer mature themes.

And for the record, it's not that I don't recommend the book at all, or for guys; I am going to read the sequel, so I couldn't have hated that much.  I just don't think it is appropriate for teen guys.  It's more of an age thing.