Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins
Just finished reading Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins which is a funny, lighthearted, easy to turn the pages novel which is about a witch named Sophie and the adventures she embarks upon when she enrolls at a new school. To be honest I probably wouldn’t have picked this particular book up because ‘schools for supernaturals’ have been a bit overdone for me personally in more recent times, but, firstly this was a Christmas present from by BBB (best book buddy) and secondly – if by bbb really rates this then I must read! Anyway, I’m all for the recommendations these days and getting out of my comfort zone.
Sophie is a witch. Her mother, however, is not. And she has been brought up with a very ‘normal’ existence, well as normal as it can be when they both spend much of their time hopping from one state to another in order to hide Sophie’s abilities, usually after one of Sophie’s spells have gone wrong (or more to the point been witnessed). However, Sophie has finally blown it – she’s used a spell which has gone disastrously wrong – and now she’s got to go to a school for supes, where frankly, although she’s a witch she’s totally out of her league because she knows relatively little (or nothing) about this world.
Hex Hall (Hecate Hall) is a school not only for witches, warlocks, werewolves, fairies and even vampires attend. Bit of a mixed bag then and straight away (after one particular incident on Sophie’s first day) you couldn’t help but wonder to yourself just exactly how all these different elements were going to get along! And, in that respect things get out of hand fairly quickly. Sophie gets embroiled into a few different scenarios straight away, she develops an obvious crush on the school ‘hottie’ (who is boyfriend to the school ‘meanie’), she gets stalked by a luminescent green ghost (that only she appears to see), she gets into trouble with a few of her fellow witches after turning down their so-sweet offer (not) to join their coven and she manages to antagonise the ‘were’ element on her first day. Not looking good for Sophie. However, she manages to make friends with the school vampire and together they have their own little most-unpopular-everybody-hates thing going on. On top of that, Sophie really is at a disadvantage, she has no idea about the world that she actually belongs to. She knows nothing of the history, myths or dos and don’ts. On top of that she has a few nasty surprises in story about her own family (which makes her even more disliked) and she also learns about a couple of groups that actively stalk and kill her kind.
To be honest, if you read this type of story, I don’t think Hex Hall will bring anything new to you. Idon’t particularly think there were any surprises involved but what I really did like was the way the story was told. It’s quick, pacy and entertaining. Sophie is quite an engaging character and has some very amusing thoughts. Her vamp friend Jenna is also probably one of the best characters with her overwhelming love of pink (who would have thought! A pink loving vampire!!) and also I like the setting. I know that schools have been a bit overdone of recent but this is quite an unusual school after all. We also have the ‘mean girl’ element to the schools – although to be honest I don’t think they were as horrible as some characters I’ve read about before and in a way I actually felt sorry for them eventually.
In round up, this was a light, fun, self-indulgent read which I enjoyed and will definitely carry on with the next two to see how Sophie’s story develops. It did put me in mind of Ally Carter’s school for spies – in terms of the humour, the fact that I liked the characters and that it’s quite fast paced.
Criticisms – the only thing that puzzled me slightly was in relation to Archer – who was a bit of mixed bag. He’s the school crush, he’s gorgeous, he’s a bit dangerous, but actually beneath the surface he doesn’t come across as bad. And, I liked his character which is what made it so difficult for me to believe that he was going out with the school super-meanie – it sort of made him a bit fickle. Just going out with the best looking and overlooking her character flaws? Maybe I’m just being really unrealistic there. The other thing I would also mention is that there is a bit of a cliffhanger ending which can be irritating for some (although I don’t really mind).
Anyway, all told, a very entertaining read and luckly for me no wait necessary for book 2 and 3. As usual I’m late to the party but sometimes there is a bonus to being late!
Rating -A
Hex Hall
Book Lists, Challenges and New Year’s Resolutions
Looking back over 2011, which was a good year for books! I had a few reading challenges which all went fairly well and managed to read over 100 books during the course of the year. I think during that time two things have become apparent for me. Firstly, I think my favourite type of book to read definitely falls into fantasy/adventure and secondly, I realised how much fun it is to join a few group read alongs. I also found quite a few really good and interesting blogs where I have picked up some really good advice and sound recommendations for books to read. So, thanks to all those lovely book bloggers out there for that.
I’ve looked back over the books I’ve read and wanted to choose my top 10. It wasn’t easy but these are my choices for 2011 in no particular order:
- Desert Spear by Peter Brett – I love this series and can’t wait for No.3 to come out.
- Unwind by Neal Shusterman – can’t believe I didn’t read this sooner. It’s a brilliant book
- The Wise Man’s Fear by Patrick Rothfuss – enough said! Brilliant book, I think I liked it even more than The Name of the Wind
- Bloodstone by Gillian Philips – Firebrand was one of my favourite books of 2010. I love GP’s sithe and Bloodstone was very dark and brooding (and who am I kidding – I love Seth McGregor, he is ‘the man’!)
- Red Seas Under Red Skies by Scott Lynch – I love the world that this author has created, The Lies of Locke Lamora was an amazing book to start the series and Red Seas Under Red Skies returned Jean and Locke to us with further adventures on the high seas.
- Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor – what a brilliant story teller. I was totally immersed in this world, the descriptions and the creatures are amazing.
- Ashes by Ilsa J Bick – this is a fantastic novel, totally gripping and horrifying.
- A Game of Thrones by George RR Martin – finally started the series off – absolutely brilliant, can’t wait to read No.2
- Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman – I love this book and wish there were more so I could return to this world again!
- Prince of Thorns by Mark Lawrence – dark and twisted but frankly unputtdownable!
That was so difficult. I want more on my list but I want to stick to 10!
I think I should mention the series that I’ve enjoyed reading this year as well:
- Patricia Briggs – Mercedes Thompson books – just love this series
- Jim Butcher’s – Dresden Files – found Harry Dresden and intend to keep reading his series
- Rachel Caine’s – Morganville Vampires, still loving this series, especially Myrnin!
- Gail Carriger’s – Parasol Protectorate, brilliant, original, witty
- Sookie Stackhouse – True Blook novels – good fun! (if you can call vampires, werewolves and fey – fun!)
- Melissa Marr – finished the Wicked Lovely series and really enjoyed it.
- Holly Black – curse workers – love this series, can’t wait for No.3
- Michael Grant – The Fayz – Plague was the best so far!
So, in 2012 I’m hoping to read some more Sci Fi – I’m going to join in with a Sci Fi Vintage reading month which is being hosted by The Little Red Reviewer and also reading some other sci fi for the 2012 Science Fiction Experience being hosted by Stainless Steel Droppings.
Also, going to continue with my 100 book challenge over at Book Chick City and will probably still take part in the British Book Challenge and 2012 Debut challenge hosted by The Story Siren.
On a personal note – I will eat more healthily (repeat 100 times) and I will exercise (repeat 100 times!). Starting with my healthy challenges I have decided to abstain from alcohol for the month of January! The gauntlet is down. Don’t get the wrong idea – I wouldn’t say I have a drinking problem, just think it’s a good idea to have a bit of a clean out after the indulgence of Christmas!
Hope everyone has a great 2012.
😀
Twelve by Jasper Kent
31 December 2011
Filed under Book Reviews, Challenges for 2011
Tags: dark fantasy, Historical, Horror, Jasper Kent, Twelve
Wow, just finished Twelve by Jasper Kent. My last book of 2011 and what a great book to end with! I will say that this book will probably not be to everyone’s liking (if you’re a bit squeamish) but I thought it was really good.
Twelve is a blend of historical fiction and supernatural chiller/horror. Personally I found it veered more towards horror than chiller as there is quite a bit of blood and gore plus some rather unsavoury scenes that would probably put some readers off. The setting is Russia, the year 1812. Napoleon is invading Russia with his Grande Armee. Four comrades in arms adopt drastic measures to try and help combat this foe but what they have actually invited amongst their midst is not everything that it at first seems.
This story is told by Aleksei, in the style of a memoir almost and brings to us the creatures from old peasant tales. Monsters whispered about behind closed doors as a warning – creatures from folklore known as the Voordalak or as they are known in this story – Oprichniki. The Oprichniki have been enlisted to work undercover causing chaos and mayhem – I suppost a little like the resistance or underground movement – except in this case there are only 12 of them so exactly how much chaos they can cause you would think would be minimal – except of course that not everything is as it seems. I’m not going to go to much further into the plot other than to say the mercenaries that Alexsei and his friends have sought help from could prove more deadly than they suspect (I don’t think I’m giving anything away by admitting that the Oprichniki are actually vampires – but this is a fact of which Alexsei and his comrades are ignorant).
What I like about this book – the writing is really good. The author displays a really good knowledge of this particular period of history and provides enough background to place you firmly in the throes of Russia during war and also later during the harshness of winter! I found the historical aspects really interesting and the fact that it was Russian history felt like a welcome change in setting and, the other bonus with the writing is that it didn’t feel too modern which I find a bit distracting when reading a historical novel – I want to feel something for the era I’m reading about and be able to picture it. So, obviously I liked the writing and the historical aspects.
In terms of the characters the story really focuses on two – Alexei and Iuda. Interestingly, the protagonist Alexsei is not exactly an endearing sort of chap – which at first I found a bit of a struggle as you do spend quite a bit of time in his head – he’s quite selfish he certainly isn’t loyal (n some respects that is) and those are two of his better-lesser characteristics! But, in spite of this he is aware of his shortcomings and does have quite a bit of internal conflict over them. Also, whilst saying Alexsei is is not endearing I will point out that I didn’t hate or dislike him – I was just sometimes a bit surprised by his thoughts and actions. Then we have Iuda who is a totally horrible character and is supposed to be so. He has no conscience whatsoever and is ruthless in the extreme – it also seems that he has the measure of Alexei to a certain extent which does give him an edge in terms of causing damage.
But, what I liked about this story the most, was the different levels that you can read into it. Throughout the novel we read about monsters but I think the author clearly wants you to think about the different levels of monstrosity. Here we are confronted with 12 monsters – and they really are pretty horrible. These are the good old fashioned monsters of bygone stories not as portrayed in more contemporary novels, flesh eating and blood sucking with no thought about the loss of life – and yet, by comparison with the wars raging around them they actually caused very little death. The wars that the Oprichniki use to hide their natures behind are no less horrible and cause far more human casualty. Then we have Alexei, okay, I’m not saying he’s a monster but when we look at Alexei he certainly isn’t perfect is he? He’s married with a child and yet carrying on an affair with a prostitue over which he has no regret or guilt about whatsoever, he readily admits that he wants no responsibility for her, he is turned on by her apparent wounds received at the hands of one of his own friends and also he’s a bit of a voyeur! Okay, so he’s not a monster because of those things and he does have the grace to at least ponder on them, but he is the good guy in this story!! Iuda is horrible – but he never pretends to be otherwise, he doesn’t cover himself with a veneer of respectability in the way what Alexei does – he is monstrous. So, different levels of monster is what I was thinking. Bit of a tangent there but I couldn’t help thinking about it particularly as Alexsie was racing around the country and witnessing the horrors of war around him.
In terms of criticism. Well, I don’t particularly find this a problem but worth mentioning – this is a long novel, with a lot of internal reflection so if you want your action all bam bam bam then this may not be for you. Here, it’s more bam, make a cup of tea, bam. But, I don’t mind that personally, just acknowledging it’s annoyance for some. Also, I didn’t think that the Oprichniki were as formidable as they seemed. But having said that I think the author was trying to get back to a more old fashioned type of vampire (with no real supernatural abilities), can live for ever (providing they’re not staked!), must avoid sunlight, sleeps underground, etc. And, finally, I would have liked a bit more hair-on-the-back-of-your-neck-raising creepiness. I’m not denying that there is horror in spades but I like that neck tingling thing that makes you break from reading because you feel like someone is watching you!
All that being said I thought this was a really good book and I will definitely continue with the rest. Not meant as a comparison to the novels themselves but it puts me very much in mind of Bram Stoker’s Dracula – because of the monsters, Elizabeth Kostovo’s Historian (especially in terms of length) and an element of the Hitchhiker thrown in for good measure (purely for the nastiness)!
I think that if you want something a bit different combining a good tale of treachery and vengeance combined with a good historical novel, well written then this could be for you.
Rating A
Twelve
Prince of Thorns by Mark Lawrence
26 December 2011
Filed under Book Reviews, Challenges for 2011
Tags: Fantasy Adventure, Mark Lawrence, Prince of Thorns
Just finished reading Prince of Thorns by Mark Lawrence which in defiance of my early impressions turned into a very good read. And, to explain myself with that remark – this is quite a gory bloodfest of a read told by a protagnoist who is the very epitome of a anti-hero yet the author not only manages to engage your attention and keep it but also makes you want the lead character to succeed.
This is a story of revenge, set in a futuristic post apocalyptic world where the inhabitants and their world resemble something from mediaeval times with dark castles, kings and jousts and yet this is a twisted future where ghosts can roam, dark magic is possible and strange mutated people have evolved in the aftermath of destruction.
The story starts with Jorg and his band of reprobates killing, pillaging and looting, taking whatever valuables and pleasures they can along the road. They’re not really nice (and that’s a big understatment). And yet, though you would think this would be a very unpalatable read, you’re almost immediately interested in Jorg. The story jumps back and forth between the present and four year’s earlier and thereby gradually provides you with some very relevant and illuminating background to Jorg.
This is a gritty and fast paced read which seems to lurch from one impossible situation to the next. I think as you read along, although Jorg and his band are an unsavoury bunch you come to realise that they are not the worst. Treachery and political maneouvering are rife and not everone or everything is always as it seems. I will say, and not that you probably will, don’t get too attached to the characters because ML shows no hesitation in sacrificing them!
I don’t want to elaborate further because it would be too easy to give away spoilers and I think this book is best read with no prior knowledge. In particular there’s a twist at the end which leaves you wondering how Jorg’s character will develop in the next installment.
In terms of criticisms I did find it a bit of a stretch to believe that Jorg was capable of everything written about him – mainly because of his age and also because I couldn’t help thinking that some of the characters he kept company with would probably have just slit his throat whilst he slept rather than let him give them orders.
But, I came to like Jorg, he’s well written and you spend a lot of time inside his head listening to his own thoughts. He’s certainly not soft and fluffy but there was the odd glimpse, when the barriers came down, that you could see how things could be very different. I think this is a really intriguing story and find it difficult to believe that this is a debut novel!
It will be interesting to see how the next book develops.
I would definitely recommend this if you don’t mind your adventure to be quite gritty and blood soaked.
Rating A
Prince of Thorns
Fool Moon by Jim Butcher
21 December 2011
Filed under Book Reviews, Challenges for 2011
Tags: Fool Moon, Jim Butcher
Just finished reading Fool Moon by Jim Butcher.
Fool Moon picks up a few months after Storm Front and sees our hero Harry fallen on hard times. The police are giving him the cold shoulder, following incidents in the last book, and work is very thin on the ground. That is until a series of grisly murders, all taking place around the time of the full moon, begin to occur and the Special Investigations unit once again call on Harry.
Firstly, I will say that I liked this book but, for some reason, not as much as the first. Although it won’t put me off continuing with the series because the story and the telling were good just as good.
What I really like about this series so far is Harry. He is just so very readable. He’s a magician, but his magic in no way takes over the whole story, in fact it is relatively little used and quite often only as a last resort, he’s witty, I like the way he tells the story and admits to all his little flaws. He’s certainly not perfect, you could almost accuse him of being patronising to certain people, but, he means well and is genuinley a good guy and frankly a bit of a softie. What I also like about this series is that it’s got lots going on, particularly in this installment which was action packed. We are introduced to wolves in this story and there are a number of different varieties, and I’m talking of the supernatural kind and the theories were a different take from the norm which was refreshing.
As I said, there’s plenty of action in Fool Moon accompanied by gore and blood, lots of blood – Dexter would have been in his element! (Blood splatter patterns all over the place.) There are also a number of different themes and gangs. We also once again seem to end up in a situation where circumstances keep spiralling ever down from bad to worse to 20 feet below.
I suppose what detracted from this story for me would be a few things. I felt that Murphy acted just plain weird or stupid – I could have joyfully slapped her (and yet Dresden doesn’t help by withholding information – so slap for him as well), but, nonetheless I found some of her actions a little bit hard to swallow. I also found the layout of this story very much followed Storm Front. Harry isn’t working, Harry gets work, Harry gets involved in all sorts of heinous situations pdq, Harry gets beaten up, Harry gets beaten up some more and then when things can’t get any worse Harry saves the day, sounds familiar but just swap the motives a little and involve a different bunch of supernatural critters, bingo. I don’t have a problem with Harry saving the day btw it’s just that this felt very much as though a formula has been written and will be stuck to – I just hope that’s not the case (okay, I know this sort of novel is a bit like that but this one was just too in your face) and the other thing that sort of irritated me was the romance thing with Susan which feels really forced. I’m not feeling it at all, in fact I would say there is a deal more chemistry between Harry and Murphy – perhaps that will be developed further in future editions.
On the whole, I enjoyed the book, it’s action packed and quite amusing with a decent plot but I just didn’t like it as much. It won’t stop me reading the next as I already like Harry and it feels like a fun and indulgent read.
Rating -B
Fool Moon
