Review: Dragons at Crumbling Castle, and Other Tales

Title: Dragons at Crumbling Castle, and Other Tales

Author: Terry Pratchett

Genre: Fairy Tale

Trigger Warnings: Mild cartoonish violence

Back Cover:

This never-before-published collection of fourteen funny and inventive tales by acclaimed author Sir Terry Pratchett features a memorable cast of inept wizards, sensible heroes, and unusually adventuresome tortoises. These accessible and mischievous tales are an ideal introduction for young readers to this beloved author. Established fans of Pratchett’s work will savor the playful presentation of the themes and ideas that inform his best-selling novels.

Review:

These are very much stories for children. All of them are incredibly short and straightforward, full of Pratchettly witicisms but devoid of complexity. (I have decided that Pratchettly/Pratchetty is a word now, meaning something amusingly absurd but that makes sense in its own way, like Terry Pratchett might write.) I didn’t mind being much older than the target audience, though, since I mainly picked it up to be a quick “palate cleanser” between some heavier and more serious books.

Usually with sort story collections I like to talk about each story individually, but there are fourteen of them and that would make this review incredibly long. So I’m just going to hit a few highlights.

• “Dok the Caveman” was one of my favorites. The story of Dok inventing all manner of ridiculous things like “cooking” and “the wheel” to the great frustration of his tribemates was witty and highly amusing.
• “Hercules the Tortoise” was the anomaly of this collection. It didn’t read like a Terry Pratchett story and was, quite frankly, boring and forgettable.
• “The 59A Bus Goes Back in Time” is what would have happened if Terry Pratchett wrote the Magic School Bus, and though I would have liked more out of it I still found it highly entertaining.
• “Edwo the Boring Knight” was another favorite, because I found the idea of a prince being sent off to seek his fortune while his only skill is being impossibly, mind-numbingly boring, completely hilarious.

Any one of these stories could be expanded into an enjoyable full-length book, and I would enjoy more from each of these zany ideas. Part of what made them feel so much like they were for children was the way they were so stripped down and lacking the complexity of most of the other Terry Pratchett books I’ve read. But on the other hand, most of them were quite fun to read, and I now have some stories in my back pocket for next time my husband’s little cousins ask me to tell them a story.

Review: Akata Witch (DNF)

Title: Akata Witch

Series: Akata Witch #1

Author: Nnedi Okorafor

Genre: Fantasy

Trigger Warnings: Bullying (verbal), bullying (physical)

Read to: ~45 minutes in (read via audiobook)

Back Cover:

Akata Witch transports the reader to a magical place where nothing is quite as it seems. Born in New York, but living in Aba, Nigeria, twelve-year old Sunny is understandably a little lost. She is albino and thus, incredibly sensitive to the sun. All Sunny wants to do is be able to play football and get through another day of school without being bullied. But once she befriends Orlu and Chichi, Sunny is plunged in to the world of the Leopard People, where your worst defect becomes your greatest asset. Together, Sunny, Orlu, Chichi and Sasha form the youngest ever Oha Coven. Their mission is to track down Black Hat Otokoto, the man responsible for kidnapping and maiming children. Will Sunny be able to overcome the killer with powers stronger than her own, or will the future she saw in the flames become reality?

Review:

I picked this up because of the author – I adored Nnedi Okorafor’s Binti trilogy and I wanted to read more from her. I did not realize going in that Akata Witch is a middle grade book. It’s not bad, by any stretch of the imagination. I just started to outgrow middle grade books back in 2014, and that hasn’t changed.

This book is also very slow. A lot of the beginning focuses on Sunny’s struggles to fit in as an American-born albino in Nigeria and how much bullying she experiences, and the friendships she built with Orlu and Chichi were glossed over. By the time I stopped reading Sasha hadn’t shown up at all and the magic stuff was just starting to be hinted at.

That’s not to say slow books are bad – I just generally prefer books with a faster pace, and that’s no fault of Akata Witch. I hadn’t really intended to give up on this book so early, but between it being middle grade and slow-paced, both of which are not my cup of tea, I put it down and realized three weeks later that I had no desire to go back to it. It’s not a bad book at all, and I’m sure there are many people who will (and do) love it, but it’s just not for me.

The Akata Witch series:

1. Akata Witch
2. Akata Warrior

Webcomic Spotlight: The Tea Dragon Society

Title: The Tea Dragon Society

Author: Katie O’Neill

Genre: Fantasy

Trigger Warnings: None

Summary:

The Tea Dragon Society follows the story of Greta, a blacksmith apprentice, and the people she meets as she becomes entwined in the enchanting world of tea dragons.

Review:

I discovered this because the author also wrote “Princess Princess,” which I spotlighted in my last webcomic spotlight. I decided to try this one because of how much I loved “Princess Princess.”

All of the characters are some sort of fantasy creatures (Greta has horns, Minette has antlers, and Hesekiel looks more like a goat than a human) and the art is so whimsical.

See, look how cute this is!

The story is character-driven – Greta, who is enthusiastically learning about tea dragons; Minette and her memory problems, and the backstory of Hesekiel and Eric (and learning how Eric became disabled). Watching the friendship between Greta and Minette develop is adorable. And it’s just generally sweet and cute.

Also, it’s short – only 46 pages – so if you need a quick dose of cute happiness this is the perfect thing to read.

You can read it for free here!

Webcomic Spotlight: Princess Princess

Image from Strangely Katie

Title: Princess Princess

Author: Katie O’Neill

Genre: Fairy Tale

Trigger Warnings: None

Summary:

Amira and Sadie are two very different princesses who decide to take their happily ever after into their own hands.

Review:

This webcomic is really short (44 pages), so I decided to make this more of a spotlight than a full review. Because I just can’t not tell you guys about it.

The best parts:

The art is adorable and the character designs are awesome.

Seriously, just look at these two.

The plot is absolutely amazing and there’s a happy ending.

It’s hilarious.

It subverts all the tropes in the most amazing way possible.

And it’s short, so you can devour it in less than half an hour. So seriously take a moment to read this. It is 500% gay, 5,000% adorable, and 50,000% worth the read.

You can read it for free here!

Review: Au Revoir, Crazy European Chick

Image from Kirkus Reviews

Title: Au Revoir, Crazy European Chick

Series: Perry and Gobi #1

Author: Joe Schreiber

Genre: Thriller

Back Cover:

It’s prom night. Up until now, Perry Stormaire’s only worries were finishing his college applications and getting his band its first big gig in the Big Apple. But when it mother makes him take geeky, quiet Lithuanian exchange student Gobija Zaksauskas to the prom instead, Perry figures the night is going to be a disaster.

He has no idea how right he is.

Gobi has a special mission – five targets by daybreak – and Perry’s roped into it whether he likes it or not. Now they’re off like a prom dress on a reckless, no-brakes blitz through nighttime Manhattan in his father’s red Jag, going eyeball to eyeball with Russian mobsters and teen angst, high-velocity bullets and high school bullies, all thanks to the most beautiful girl that ever almost got him killed.

Read to: Page 64 (chapter 12)

Review:

This is one of those books that I’ve had on my Want to Read list for a long time, and when I saw it at the library I grabbed it without thinking too much about it. I put it on my list purely for concept – nerdy foreign exchange student turns out to be an assassin, boy gets dragged along for the ride. But I probably should have read the reviews before I read it.

Perry wasn’t too bad of a character. He could be a tiny bit irritating at times (especially when whining about wishing he had a girl), but for the most part, I didn’t mind him. Part of the conflict was him getting dragged around by Gobi while his band was supposed to be playing their big gig and he needed to be there on time – and I liked him enough that I hoped he would get there in time to play.

Perry was the best of the lot, though. Gobi went from an awkward, poor-English-speaking foreign exchange student who I didn’t mind to a hot, competent, complete jerk of an assassin. She only needed Perry because she couldn’t drive, and it seems to me that an assassin should know a basic skill like that. Perry’s friends were all irritating high school jerks, and Perry’s dad was so unnecessarily and purposefully cruel to his son that I wanted to reach through the book and punch him in the face.

I hoped at least the plot would be good, since that’s mostly what I picked it up for, anyway. But once the actual assassin part got started, it floated along on high-speed driving and Perry freaking out. Not exactly what I’d hoped. I only read 64 pages because I was bored and too lazy to grab another book – at least until I got so totally frustrated that I decided I’d rather go wash the dishes than continue reading.

A lot of Au Revoir, Crazy European Chick’s good reviews on Goodreads were good because “give it to a 13-year-old boy.” This book is carried purely by the guns-a-blazin’, secret-identities, super-secret-assassin stuff that makes the mediocre action movies my 13-year-old brother loves. But I wouldn’t recommend this book to him. Lots of swearing, bloody murders, a fixation on sex … all stuff I wouldn’t want any 13-year-old reading about.

I was really disappointed in this book, because Au Revoir, Crazy European Chick had a great premise. Unfortunately, the execution completely failed.

The Perry & Gobi series:

1. Au Revoir, Crazy European Chick
2. Perry’s Killer Playlist

 

Review: True Talents

Image from David Lubar

Title: True Talents

Series: Hidden Talents #2

Author: David Lubar

Genre: Paranormal, I guess

Warning: This book is a sequel, so this review will probably contain spoilers of Hidden Talents.

Back Cover:

When their secret gets out and the bad guys close in, Trash, Martin, Flinch, and the rest of the gang find themselves in a fight for survival against a brutal enemy. An action-packed adventure where things blow up, people die, and Torchie buys an accordion.

Review:

After enjoying Hidden Talents, I was pretty excited to read True Talents. I remembered liking it even better than the first book.

I loved the characters even more this time around. I don’t remember how long it’s been since Hidden Talents (it was mentioned in the beginning, but I forgot), but the boys seem much older now. Except for Torchie. Torchie never loses his childlike enthusiasm and cluelessness.

The characters’ aging was likely due to a slightly more serious tone to this book (actually being in danger of dying, as opposed to just navigating school). But I don’t think they’re too old for the Hidden Talents readership – more like 8th or 9th grade, as opposed to 6th or 7th.

I wish their powers had factored into the story a bit more – I’m all about the psychic powers. But True Talents did a good job of spotlighting the boys’ non-psychic abilities. I loved the way they worked together as a team.

Looking back on it, I’m not sure how David Lubar pulled off such an action-packed plot without relying on the powers. There kidnappings, evil scientific experiments, faking a death, guns for hire, an accidental bank robbery, and all sorts of dangerous stuff. But somehow, the story focused more on the boys than their powers.

I remembered correctly – I enjoyed True Talents so much more than book one. And I wish so hard there were more books in the series (preferably one from every boy’s perspective). But I guess I’ll have to settle for what there is. I think I’ll donate this book to the library with Hidden Talents, but I definitely recommend both books for junior high boys.

The Hidden Talents series:

1. Hidden Talents
2. True Talents

Review: Liberty Frye and the Witches of Hessen

Image from Sam McCreedy; used by permission

Title: Liberty Frye and the Witches of Hessen

Series: Liberty Frye #1

Author: J.L. McCreedy

Genre: Fairy Tale

Back Cover:

This is the story of Liberty “Libby” Frye, a young girl from the American South, who finds herself lured to a foreign land where she falls into the clutches of an evil witch with sinister plans. Libby will need to rely upon her wits and courage, as well as the help of some friends, if she hopes to save not only herself, but also those dearest to her.

Review:

I’m pretty sure I had a good reason when I picked this up, but come time to write a review and I can’t remember what made me want to read this.

Libby was okay. I think the main reason I didn’t like her a lot is she was 10. She had a bold, fearless personality that I’m sure I would have loved in a teenager, but I wasn’t so crazy about her as a ten-year-old.

I think the story really should have been about Ginny. She went from shy and timid when Libby met her to brave and courageous at the end of the book. The problem was it almost felt forced, since she didn’t have as much page time as I think she deserved.

The basic idea was a good one (and I’m not going to say too much, since you find out what’s going on along with Libby). But I feel like there really needed to be more. The last quarter Libby starts figuring out what’s going on, and then it’s over. It probably wouldn’t bother an upper-elementary kid, who would just be excited for book 2, but I wanted more detail.

I didn’t love Liberty Frye and the Witches of Hessen as I thought (or wished) I would. It really had nothing to do with the book – I’m just outgrowing middle grade books. I’m disappointed, because I have loved middle grade since I discovered it. But I think it’s time I left middle grade to its target audience.

I received a free review copy of Liberty Frye and the Witches of Hessen from the author. Her generosity in no way influenced, or sought to influence, this review.

The Liberty Frye series:

1. Liberty Frye and the Witches of Hessen
2. Liberty Frye and the Sails of Fate

Review: Hidden Talents

Image from David Lubar

Title: Hidden Talents

Series: Hidden Talents #1

Author: David Lubar

Genre: Paranormal

Back Cover:

Every time Martin opens his mouth, he gets in trouble. He’s just been dumped at the last place that will take him; a school filled with freaks, misfits, and psychotic bullies. His roommate starts fires, his new friends are thieves and cheats, and his teachers hate him. Then things start to get really weird.

Review:

This reread is part of my quest to clean out my bookshelves. I got Hidden Talents on a whim from PaperBack Swap, loved it, and immediately got the sequel. Of course, that was four years ago.

The characters weren’t extremely developed. But that wasn’t a problem. I didn’t remember or expect a lot, and there was enough. Stubborn, smart-mouthed Martin and cheery, oblivious Torchie are the main ones, but there’s also a handful of other boys (friends and enemies) and a few teachers. None of them were outstanding, but they weren’t flat either.

I remembered all of the plot, even the details – it’s simple, straightforward, and uncomplicated. But don’t take that to mean uninteresting, because it isn’t. It just doesn’t have a lot of twists.

Most of the story is Martin figuring out the weird things going on with his new friends, then trying to convince his friends he’s right. Even though I knew what happened, I liked following along.

I still liked this book four years later, but not quite as much as I did the first time. I may give it to my 12-year-old brother, because I think he’d enjoy it, but I won’t be keeping it. (I’ll definitely be reading the sequel, True Talents – I recall liking that one even more.)

The Hidden Talents series:

1. Hidden Talents
2. True Talents

Review: The Song of the Quarkbeast

Image from Jasper Fforde

Title: The Song of the Quarkbeast

Series: The Chronicles of Kazam #2

Author: Jasper Fforde

Genre: Fantasy

Warning: This book is second in a series, so this review might contain spoilers of The Last Dragonslayer.

Back Cover:

Magic has been in a sad state in the Ununited Kingdom for years, but now it’s finally on the rise, and boneheaded King Snodd IV knows it. If he succeeds at his plot, the very future of magic will be at risk! Sensible sixteen-year-old Jennifer Strange, acting manager of Kazam Mystical Arts Management and its unpredictable crew of sorcerers, has little chance against the king and his cronies—but there’s no way Kazam will let go of the noble powers of magic without a fight. A suspenseful, satirical story of Quarkbeasts, trolls, and wizidrical crackle!

Review:

I was on the way out of the library when I saw this on the “new arrivals” shelf, and I made three people look by squealing and snatching it. I had so much fun with the screwball The Last Dragonslayer that I was super excited to get this one.

I still loved Jennifer, likely because she’s so much like me. She’s sensible and organized and is a fabulous manager, plus she’s brave and smart. I wouldn’t want to put Jennifer out of a job, but I seriously want to manage Kazam.

All the other characters were fabulous, too. Jennifer’s quirky semi-apprentice, Tiger; the ridiculous King Snodd and his strong-willed wife; and all the amazing and eccentric wizards at Kazam. I wish I had space to say how much I loved them all.

I described the first book as zany – it means “unconventionally amusing,” and I thought that fit perfectly. The Song of the Quarkbeast was zany, too, but it also had more serious elements, too. After all, the future of magic is in the balance. There’s also a hunter who just likes to kill things, a near-death experience, the sad history of a once-great wizard, and even a semi-death.

It was still fun and light-hearted, just not as much as The Last Dragonslayer. And I don’t want to say much more about the plot for fear of spoilers. It’s so much fun to discover for yourself.

The Song of the Quarkbeast absolutely lived up to its predecessor. And I’m sure that seeing the next book in the series, The Eye of Zoltar, will result in a similar squealing-and-grabbing episode.

The Chronicles of Kazam:

1. The Last Dragonslayer
2. The Song of the Quarkbeast
3. The Eye of Zoltar

Review: George and the Galactic Games

Image from H.S. Stone

Title: George and the Galactic Games

Author: H.S. Stone

Genre: Science Fiction

Back Cover:

George is the new kid in school. He also recently lost his father to a heart attack. In an effort to cheer him up, George’s mother takes him on a camping trip. That’s when their troubles really begin. Extraterrestrials abduct both mother and son. Now George finds himself an unwilling participant in the Yumal Contests, a galactic game against an alien species. He must overcome his fears and limitations to win because these games are not just a casual sporting event … his life hangs in the balance.

Review:

After reading H.S. Stone’s Beyond New Eden and Keep Your Enemies Close, I’ve been meaning to read the rest of his books. It took me a while to get around to it, but I finally found this one as an ebook for three dollars, and figured it was as good a place to start as any.

George was really enjoyable. I admired his courage and his determination not to let his team down, even though he was sure he wasn’t good at anything. His grief over his father’s death also seemed very real. My only problem with him is the same problem I have with almost every middle grade book with a male main character – as a 17-year-old girl, I didn’t connect with him as well as I wanted to.

I enjoyed the other characters on George’s team, as well. (Except Frank, but I’m not sure anyone liked Frank.) Roger and Susan, the middle aged couple, were fun, but I especially liked Emily, who was George’s age. She was optimistic and encouraging, but she seemed to have a very similar skill set to George, which was a little weird.

I guessed why things weren’t working right long before it was explained – but it wasn’t super obvious. I had to actually think about putting the pieces together, as opposed to just realizing what’s going on. This is a middle grade book, though, and I doubt the book’s intended audience would guess it.

I loved the idea of the Yumal Contest games. At first, it made me think of a less gory, middle grade Hunger Games with aliens, but as I read on, I realized that wasn’t true at all. The concept was a lot like a challenge-based STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) class I’m taking, with a combination of physical and mental challenges for points. But here, there were the teams’ freedom on the line – losers stayed behind as slaves. It was a fascinating idea, and I loved every moment of it.

I really enjoyed George and the Galactic Games. It was fun, and even though it wasn’t as lighthearted as I expected, it wasn’t heavy-handed, either. A thoroughly enjoyable read.