Book Review: Fell

Fell
by David Clement-Davies

The black wolf Fell is a Kerl, a loner, who lives without a pack in the mountains of Transylvania. The darkness that he experienced in his youth drove him away from his pack in search of answers, and for years he has wandered the mountains alone, studying man. Fell has the Sight, an ability to see into other places and times and into the minds of other animals, which often seems more like a curse than a gift.

Alina is a girl disguised as a boy, living as a poorly-treated servant with a shepherd couple, Malduk and Ranna, who found her as a small child. They've told her that she's a changeling, and that it's essential that she disguise herself as a boy so that the fairies and goblins don't take her back. When Alina discovers that Malduk and Ranna lied about her past, the couple turn on her and she must flee for her life.

Struggling for her life in the Transylvanian winter, Alina encounters Fell. Though they are from two different worlds, Alina and Fell can communicate through the Sight. The two of them set off together to find the answers that they so desperately need. Alina is searching for home and family and the keys to her past, a past that somehow involves the evil Lord Vladeran. Fell seeks to understand his visions of the future and his shared destiny with Alina. The future of the world may depend on the choices that the two of them make.

Fell is a beautifully written book. Clement-Davies' skillful use of language and lovely metaphors bring to life the land of Transylvania in the 15th century, its people, and the lives of the wolves. Although the Sight adds a mystical element to the books, and Fell is able to communicate with Alina, the wolves are depicted realistically for the most part, and don't think or act like humans. One of the best scenes in the book is the scene when Alina meets Fell. The differences between wolf and human are starkly depicted in this scene, and the two of them must somehow find a way to bridge that vast gap. Although Fell ends up helping Alina, he is never domesticated, and the reader is left with an impression of wild power barely contained.

Fell is a sequel to The Sight, although I think it probably stands pretty well alone. In fact, Fell is a very different book from The Sight. Whereas the first book was told exclusively from the point of view of the wolves, Fell alternates between Fell's and Alina's point of view. Personally, I liked Fell much better; I could relate more to Alina's story, and I didn't find it as dark a book as The Sight. But fans of The Sight may be disappointed if they come to the book expecting it to follow in its predecessor's footsteps.

Through Alina and Fell, Clement-Davies explores philosophical questions such as the relationship between man and nature, the meaning of life and death, and whether we are trapped by destiny and myth or whether we can affect the future by our choices. Such philosophical questions play a role, but don't overwhelm the story as they sometimes threaten to do in The Sight. And neither the rich language nor the philosophical underpinnings slow down the story, which is interesting and moves along quite well.

Like its predecessor The Sight, Fell is a complex book that will be challenging for some readers. However, the interesting characters, rich setting, and exciting story make this a book well worth reading.

Inheritance series book 3 news (and more!)

RandomHouse has announced the publication date for the 3rd book in the Inheritance series, and sequel to Eragon and Eldest. Book three, as yet untitled, will be published on September 23, 2008.

In an interesting twist, RandomHouse also announced that there will be a fourth book in the series. In the press release, Christopher Paolini is quoted as saying:

"When I finally delved into Book Three, it soon became obvious that the remainder of the story was far too big to fit in one volume. Having spent so long thinking about the series as a trilogy, it was difficult for me to realize that, in order to be true to my characters and to address all of the plot points and unanswered questions Eragon and Eldest raised, I needed to split the end of the series into two books.”

You can view the complete press release here (as a PDF file - requires Adobe Reader)

Christopher Paolini will be giving a video message to the fans TODAY (October 30) at 5 PM Eastern. You can watch it here:
http://www.alagaesia.com/

Cybils 2007 F/SF Weekly Update - 10/29

I've updated the list of 2007 Cybils Fantasy and Science Fiction nominations. The following books have been added:


Black Book of Secrets, The
by F.E. Higgins
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Buy from: Amazon.com | Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews:


Prom Dates from Hell
by Rosemary Clement-Moore
Publisher: Random House/Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Buy from: Amazon.com | Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews:


Alfred Kropp: The Seal of Solomon
by Rick Yancey
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Children's Books
Buy from: Amazon.com | Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews: Sheila


Choices
by Deborah Lynn Jacobs
Publisher: Macmillan/Roaring Brook Press
Buy from: Amazon.com | Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews:


Dreamquake
by Elizabeth Knox
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Buy from: Amazon.com | Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews:


The Chaos King
by Laura Ruby
Publisher: HarperCollins/Eos
Buy from: Amazon.com | Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews:


Verdigris Deep (Well Witched in the U.S.)
by Frances Hardinge
Publisher: Macmillan Children's Books (UK)
Buy from: Amazon.com | Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews: Leila

The following review was added this week:

Leila reviewed Sensitive by Nina Wright

View the complete list of fantasy/science fiction nominations here

Haven't nominated yet? Please don't wait too long! The sooner you get your nomination in, the more time the panelists will have to read and consider the book. Go here to nominate your favorite fantasy/science fiction book of the year! (Please be sure to nominate a book that's not already on the list). You can also nominate your favorite books in other categories here.

David Clement-Davies author chat

On Saturday, November 3, David Clement-Davies will be logging on to our fan community to chat with the fans! David Clement-Davies is the author of:

• The Sight and Fell, fantasy novels about wolves living in the mountains of Transylvania,
  
• Fire Bringer, an animal fantasy about a young buck (deer) who must face his destiny in a battle of good versus evil,
  
• The Telling Pool, which combines the Arthurian legends with King Richard's crusade,
  

The chat will take place Saturday, November 3, at the following times:

8:00 PM Eastern

7:00 PM Central

6:00 PM Mountain

5:00 PM Pacific

Wands and Worlds is a membership community, and the cost of membership is $5 for a full year, which includes access to participate in the community as well as access to all author chats.

Joining the community is a two step process. First, you have to register by going to this page.

Once you are registered, log in and then go to this page to make your payment and upgrade to full membership.

A great week

I must be having my 15 minutes of fame today. First, the 7-imps jules and eisha posted an interview with me today. On top of that, my review of Song of the Sparrow is posted on the Cybils site today!

Even before my day of fame, it's been a great week. Monday was my birthday, and for my birthday present to myself, I finally reached my goal of losing 50 pounds!

They don't get much better than this!

I apologize that it's been so long since I've posted a review. I have several books lined up waiting to review, but I've been bogged down in Cybils organizational stuff and haven't had time. I promise to post some soon. I need to get back to it!

Updated 2007 Cybils F/SF Nominations 10/22

I updated the list of 2007 Cybils Fantasy/Science Fiction nominations list to include the nominations added in the last week. Only two new books were added to the list:

The Swan Maiden
by Heather Tomlinson
Publisher: Henry Holt
Buy from: Amazon.com | Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews:


Through the Eyes of a Raptor
by Julie Hahnke
Publisher: iUniverse
Buy from: Amazon.com | Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews:


View the complete list of fantasy/science fiction nominations here

Haven't nominated yet? Please don't wait too long! The sooner you get your nomination in, the more time the panelists will have to read and consider the book. Go here to nominate your favorite fantasy/science fiction book of the year! (Please be sure to nominate a book that's not already on the list). You can also nominate your favorite books in other categories here.

Cybils 2007 nominations - reviews added

I updated the Cybils Fantasy and Science Fiction nominations list to add links to reviews that have been written so far by the F/SF nominating committee members. View the entire list here.

Updated 2007 Cybils F/SF Nominations

I've updated the 2007 Cybils fantasy and science fiction nominations list to show the latest nominations. The following books were added in the last week:

Fred & Anthony's Escape from the Netherworld
by Esile Arevamirp
Publisher: Disney/Hyperion
Buy from: Amazon.com | Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews:


Dragonhaven
by Robin McKinley
Publisher: Penguin/Putnam Juvenile
Buy from: Amazon.com | Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews:


Leven Thumps and the Eyes of the Want
by Obert Skye
Publisher: Shadow Mountain
Buy from: Amazon.com | Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews:


Red Spikes
by Margo Lanagan
Publisher: Random House/Knopf Books for Young Readers
Buy from: Amazon.com | Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews:


Senrid
by Sherwood Smith
Publisher: YA Angst
Buy from: Amazon.com | Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews:


Standard Hero Behavior
by John David Anderson
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin/Clarion Books
Buy from: Amazon.com | Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews:


Children of the 23rd Century: The Secret of the Lost Planet
by Mel Hogan
Publisher: Athena Press Ltd (UK)
Buy from: Amazon.com | Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews:


The Silenced
by James Devita
Publisher: HarperCollins/Eos
Buy from: Amazon.com | Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews:


Two Moon Princess
by Carmen Ferreiro-Esteban
Publisher: Tanglewood Press
Buy from: Amazon.com | Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews:


Betrayed: A House of Night Novel
by PC Cast
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Buy from: Amazon.com | Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews:


Giving Up the Ghost
by Sheri Sinykin
Publisher: Peachtree Publishers
Buy from: Amazon.com | Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews:


The Seventh Chair
by Ann Keffer
Publisher: iUniverse
Buy from: Amazon.com | Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews:


Fathom Five: The Unwritten Books
by James Bow
Publisher: Dundurn/Boardwalk Books
Buy from: Amazon.com | Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews:


Marigold and the Feather of Hope
by J. H. Sweet
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Buy from: Amazon.com | Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews:



View the complete list of nominations here

Dark Dreamweaver: A new review and an oversight

Liz B., of A Chair, a Fireplace, & a Tea Cozy fame, has posted a review of my husband's book, The Dark Dreamweaver. Liz says, "...there are adventures, challenges, skills to learn, puzzles to work out, and, in true fantasy fashion, a group of newly met friends to help." Read the entire review.

Liz also pointed out that I neglected to post Jen Robinson's review. Jen found "...a lot to like about this inventive story." Read her review here. I'm sorry for my oversight, Jen, but no less grateful!

Thanks so much to Jen and Liz for taking the time to review the book.

National Book Awards finalists 2007

The finalists for the National Book awards have been announced. The finalists for young people's literature are:

Sherman Alexie, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian (Little, Brown & Company)
Kathleen Duey, Skin Hunger: A Resurrection of Magic, Book One (Atheneum Books for Young Readers)
M. Sindy Felin, Touching Snow (Atheneum Books for Young Readers)
Brian Selznick, The Invention of Hugo Cabret (Scholastic Press)
Sara Zarr, Story of a Girl (Little, Brown & Company)

I haven't read any of these, although I will probably be reading Skin Hunger soon, since it was nominated for the Cybils in fantasy and science fiction. But from reviews I've read, this looks like a pretty good crop of books. That's not really surprising when you look at the Young People’s Literature Judges: Elizabeth Partridge (chair),
Pete Hautman, James Howe, Patricia McCormick, and Scott Westerfeld.

To see all the finalists, go to www.nationalbook.org/nba2007.html

Cybils 2007 Fantasy and Science Fiction Nominations

Updated on November 19

The 2007 Cybils Awards for children's and young adult books opened on October 1 and closes in a couple of days, on November 21. We're up to 88 nominations in the fantasy and science fiction category, which was exactly the number that we had last year! Nominations are only open for 2 more days, so if you've been waiting to nominate, your time has come!

The list of nominations to date appears below. Some of these were nominated in other categories but moved here because we felt that this was the most appropriate category. Likewise, a couple of books nominated here have been moved to other categories, so if you don't see your nomination here, don't panic.

Here's the list of nominations as of November 19:

100 Cupboards
by N.D. Wilson
Publisher: Random House
Buy from: Amazon.com | Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews:


Alchemyst, The
by Michael Scott
Publisher: Random House/Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Buy from: Amazon.com | Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews:


Alfred Kropp: The Seal of Solomon
by Rick Yancey
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Children's Books
Buy from: Amazon.com | Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews: Sheila


Betrayed: A House of Night Novel
by PC Cast
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Buy from: Amazon.com | Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews: Kim


Billy Hooten: Owlboy
by Tom Sniegoski
Publisher: Random House/Yearling
Buy from: Amazon.com | Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews:


Black Book of Secrets, The
by F.E. Higgins
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Buy from: Amazon.com | Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews:


Book of a Thousand Days
by Shannon Hale
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Children's Books
Buy from: Amazon.com | Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews: Leila Tasha TadMack


Call to Shakabaz, The
by Amy Wachspress
Publisher: Woza Books
Buy from: Amazon.com | Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews: Sheila


Children of the 23rd Century: The Secret of the Lost Planet
by Mel Hogan
Publisher: Athena Press Ltd (UK)
Buy from: Amazon.com | Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews:


Choices
by Deborah Lynn Jacobs
Publisher: Macmillan/Roaring Brook Press
Buy from: Amazon.com | Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews: Tasha


City of Bones
by Cassandra Clare
Publisher: Simon & Schuster/Margaret K. McElderry
Buy from: Amazon.com | Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews: TadMack


Cobra King Of Kathmandu, The
by P. B. Kerr
Publisher: Scholastic/Orchard Books
Buy from: Amazon.com | Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews:


Cupid
by Julius Lester
Publisher: Harcourt Children's Books
Buy from: Amazon.com | Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews:


Darkwing
by Kenneth Oppel
Publisher: HarperCollins/Eos
Buy from: Amazon.com | Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews: Sheila


Defect
by Will Weaver
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Buy from: Amazon.com | Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews: Leila TadMack


Dragon Slippers
by Jessica Day George
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Children's Books
Buy from: Amazon.com | Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews:


Dragonhaven
by Robin McKinley
Publisher: Penguin/Putnam Juvenile
Buy from: Amazon.com | Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews:


Dragon's Keep
by Janet Lee Carey
Publisher: Harcourt Children's Books
Buy from: Amazon.com | Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews: Tasha TadMack


Dreamquake
by Elizabeth Knox
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Buy from: Amazon.com | Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews:


Eclipse
by Stephenie Meyer
Publisher: Little, Brown Young Readers
Buy from: Amazon.com | Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews: a. fortis Leila


Emmy and the Incredible Shrinking Rat
by Lynne Jonell
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co.
Buy from: Amazon.com | Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews:


Erec Rex: The Monsters of Otherness
by Kaza Kingsley
Publisher: Firelight Press
Buy from: Amazon.com | Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews:


Extras
by Scott Westerfeld
Publisher: Simon & Schuster/Simon Pulse
Buy from: Amazon.com | Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews: Tasha


Fablehaven: Rise of the Evening Star
by Brandon Mull
Publisher: Shadow Mountain
Buy from: Amazon.com | Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews: Kim


Faeries of Dreamdark: Blackbringer
by Laini Taylor
Publisher: Penguin/Putnam Juvenile
Buy from: Amazon.com | Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews: Sheila


Fathom Five: The Unwritten Books
by James Bow
Publisher: Dundurn/Boardwalk Books
Buy from: Amazon.com | Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews:


First Light
by Rebecca Stead
Publisher: Random House/Wendy Lamb Books
Buy from: Amazon.com | Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews: Tasha Sheila


Flora Segunda
by Ysabeau S. Wilce
Publisher: Harcourt Children's Books
Buy from: Amazon.com | Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews: Leila Sheila


Fred & Anthony's Escape from the Netherworld
by Esile Arevamirp
Publisher: Disney/Hyperion
Buy from: Amazon.com | Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews:


Giving Up the Ghost
by Sheri Sinykin
Publisher: Peachtree Publishers
Buy from: Amazon.com | Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews:


Gray/Guardians
by Kathy Porter
Publisher: BookSurge Publishing
Buy from: Amazon.com | Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews:


Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
by J. K. Rowling
Publisher: Scholastic/Arthur A. Levine Books
Buy from: Amazon.com | Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews: Traci


Hungry Ghosts
by Sally Heinrich
Publisher: Lothian Publishing (may be an imprint of Hachette Livre Australia)
Buy from: Amazon.com | Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews:


In the Serpent's Coils (Hallowmere)
by Tiffany Trent
Publisher: Mirrorstone
Buy from: Amazon.com | Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews: Leila


Into the Wild
by Sarah Beth Durst
Publisher: Penguin/Razorbill
Buy from: Amazon.com | Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews: Tasha Sheila


Ironside: A Modern Faery's Tale
by Holly Black
Publisher: Simon & Schuster/Margaret K. McElderry
Buy from: Amazon.com | Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews: Sheila


Jackie Tempo and the Emperor's Seal
by Suzanne M Litrel
Publisher: iUniverse
Buy from: Amazon.com | Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews:


Jinx
by Meg Cabot
Publisher: HarperCollins
Buy from: Amazon.com | Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews: Kim Leila


Kendra Kandlestar and the Door to Unger
by Lee E. Fodi
Publisher: Brown Books Publishing Group
Buy from: Amazon.com | Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews:


Lady Friday (The Keys to the Kingdom)
by Garth Nix
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Buy from: Amazon.com | Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews: Sheila


Land of the Silver Apples, The
by Nancy Farmer
Publisher: Simon & Schuster/Atheneum/Richard Jackson Books
Buy from: Amazon.com | Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews: a. fortis


Leven Thumps and the Eyes of the Want
by Obert Skye
Publisher: Shadow Mountain
Buy from: Amazon.com | Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews:


Little (Grrl) Lost
by Charles de Lint
Publisher: Penguin/Viking
Buy from: Amazon.com | Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews:


Magic and Other Misdemeanors (The Sisters Grimm)
by Michael Buckley
Publisher: Abrams/Amulet
Buy from: Amazon.com | Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews:


Marigold and the Feather of Hope
by J. H. Sweet
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Buy from: Amazon.com | Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews:


New Policeman, The
by Kate Thompson
Publisher: HarperCollins
Buy from: Amazon.com | Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews: Leila Sheila


Night Tourist, The
by Katherine Marsh
Publisher: Disney/Hyperion
Buy from: Amazon.com | Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews: Leila


Nightwalker: The Warlocks of Talverdin
by K. V. Johansen
Publisher: Orca Book Publishers
Buy from: Amazon.com | Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews: a. fortis


Once Upon a Crime (The Sisters Grimm)
by Michael Buckley
Publisher: Abrams/Amulet
Buy from: Amazon.com | Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews: Sheila


Platinum
by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Publisher: Random House/Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Buy from: Amazon.com | Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews:


Powers
by Ursula K. Le Guin
Publisher: Harcourt Children's Books
Buy from: Amazon.com | Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews: Leila


Prom Dates from Hell
by Rosemary Clement-Moore
Publisher: Random House/Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Buy from: Amazon.com | Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews:


Quest for the Elfin Elixir
by Ami Blackford
Publisher: Red Cygnet Press
Buy from: Amazon.com | Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews:


Red Spikes
by Margo Lanagan
Publisher: Random House/Knopf Books for Young Readers
Buy from: Amazon.com | Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews: Leila Tasha


Repossessed
by A. M. Jenkins
Publisher: HarperCollins
Buy from: Amazon.com | Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews:


Return to Zandria
by Christine Norris
Publisher: LBF Books/Lachesis Publishing
Buy from: Amazon.com | Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews:


Seeing Redd (The Looking Glass Wars)
by Frank Beddor
Publisher: Penguin/Dial
Buy from: Amazon.com | Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews:


Seems, The: The Glitch in Sleep
by John Hulme
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Children's Books
Buy from: Amazon.com | Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews:


Senrid
by Sherwood Smith
Publisher: YA Angst
Buy from: Amazon.com | Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews:


Sensitive
by Nina Wright
Publisher: Flux
Buy from: Amazon.com | Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews: Leila


Seventh Chair, The
by Ann Keffer
Publisher: iUniverse
Buy from: Amazon.com | Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews: Sheila


Silenced, The
by James Devita
Publisher: HarperCollins/Eos
Buy from: Amazon.com | Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews:


Silver World
by Cliff McNish
Publisher: Lerner Publishing/Carolrhoda Books
Buy from: Amazon.com | Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews: Sheila


Skin Hunger
by Kathleen Duey
Publisher: Simon & Schuster/Atheneum
Buy from: Amazon.com | Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews:


Skulduggery Pleasant
by Derek Landy
Publisher: HarperCollins
Buy from: Amazon.com | Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews: Kim Leila Tasha Sheila


Standard Hero Behavior
by John David Anderson
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin/Clarion Books
Buy from: Amazon.com | Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews:


Swan Maiden, The
by Heather Tomlinson
Publisher: Henry Holt
Buy from: Amazon.com | Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews:


Tantalize
by Cynthia Leitich Smith
Publisher: Candlewick
Buy from: Amazon.com | Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews:


Tattoo
by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Publisher: Random House/Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Buy from: Amazon.com | Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews: Tasha


The Chaos King
by Laura Ruby
Publisher: HarperCollins/Eos
Buy from: Amazon.com | Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews:


The Ghost in Allie's Pool
by Sari Bodi
Publisher: Brown Barn Books
Buy from: Amazon.com | Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews:


The Golden Dream of Carlo Chuchio
by Lloyd Alexander
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co
Buy from: Amazon.com | Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews:


The Secret of Grim Hill
by Linda DeMeulemeester
Publisher: Lobster Press
Buy from: Amazon.com | Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews:


The Secret Zoo
by Bryan Chick
Publisher: Second Wish Press
Buy from: Amazon.com | Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews:


The Thief Queen's Daughter
by Elizabeth Haydon
Publisher: Tor/Starscape
Buy from: Amazon.com | Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews:


Theodosia and the Serpents of Chaos
by R. L. LaFevers
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin
Buy from: Amazon.com | Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews: Leila Traci


Through the Eyes of a Raptor
by Julie Hahnke
Publisher: iUniverse
Buy from: Amazon.com | Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews:


Titan's Curse, The
by Rick Riordan
Publisher: Disney/Miramax
Buy from: Amazon.com | Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews: Leila Sheila


To Catch a Mermaid
by Suzanne Selfors
Publisher: Little, Brown Young Readers
Buy from: Amazon.com | Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews:


True Meaning of Smekday, The
by Adam Rex
Publisher: Disney/Hyperion
Buy from: Amazon.com | Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews:


Two Moon Princess
by Carmen Ferreiro-Esteban
Publisher: Tanglewood Press
Buy from: Amazon.com | Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews:


Un Lun Dun
by China Mieville
Publisher: Random House/Del Rey
Buy from: Amazon.com | Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews: a. fortis


Verdigris Deep (Well Witched in the U.S.)
by Frances Hardinge
Publisher: Macmillan Children's Books (UK)
Buy from: Amazon.com | Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews: Leila


What-the-Dickens: The Story of a Rogue Tooth Fairy
by Gregory Maguire
Publisher: Candlewick
Buy from: Amazon.com | Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews:


Wicked Lovely
by Melissa Marr
Publisher: HarperCollins
Buy from: Amazon.com | Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews: Leila Tasha Sheila


Wildwood Dancing
by Juliet Marillier
Publisher: Random House/Knopf Books for Young Readers
Buy from: Amazon.com | Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews: Leila Tasha Sheila TadMack


Woolies and Worms
by Stephen MacNeil
Publisher: Cobblestone Publishing/Cricket Magazine Group
Buy from: Amazon.com | Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews:


Worldweavers: Gift of the Unmage
by Alma Alexander
Publisher: HarperCollins/Eos
Buy from: Amazon.com | Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews: Tasha

Don't forget: this is your last chance to nominate!

Percy Jackson book 4 announced!

The title and cover of book 4 of Percy Jackson and the Olympians have been announced! The title is The Battle of the Labyrinth and you can see the lovely cover to the left.

Thanks to PW for the news.

To keep updated on the latest on the series, check out Rick Riordan's blog, Myth & Mystery.

Book Review: The Dirt Eaters

The Dirt Eaters
The Longlight Legacy, book 1
by Dennis Foon

For seventy-five years after the Abomination, the people of Longlight lived in peace, separate from the world, until a brutal attack by raiders wiped out the entire village. Fifteen-year-old Roan has lost everything and everyone: his parents killed, his sister taken by the raiders. When a huge man named Saint discovers him in the desolate village, Saint takes Roan in and offers him sanctuary. Saint is the leader and prophet of of the Friend, a religious sect that lives a monk-like existence. With the Friend, Roan does things to survive that he never thought he would do. He has to eat meat, although he was raised to believe that eating the flesh of animals is wrong. He must learn to fight, although he was raised in a village which rejected fighting. But worst of all is his burning desire for revenge, which goes against his people's belief in peace.

Roan moves towards initiation into the Friend, but not without reservations. He has never completely trusted Saint, and the more he learns, the more he begins to suspect Saint. He's also troubled by his own continuing anger and desire for revenge, and the ease with which he learns the fighting arts. Then there are the visions he keeps having - visions of a rat, a mountain lion, and a goat woman - strange beings who call themselves Dirt Eaters. The search for answers will drive Roan into the post-apocalyptic wasteland known as the Devastation. The things and the people he encounters there will challenge him to the utmost.

The Dirt Eaters is an amazing book. This fascinating blend of post-apocalyptic science fiction with some fantasy elements manages to be both thought-provoking and exciting. The characters are, for the most part, rich, complex, imperfect human beings; there are no black-and-white caricatures here. One of the themes of the story is the difficulty of knowing what is right. Some characters believe that what they are doing is right, but on balance their actions bring evil to the world. And even those characters experience love and loss and other human emotions. Other characters have to do horrible things in order to work towards saving what people they can, knowing that if they try to save everyone, they'll end up saving no one.

The story is written in present tense, which gives it a gripping sense of immediacy. It certainly holds your attention and keeps you turning pages until the very end. The Dirt Eaters is one of the best books that I've read this year, and I would consider nominating it for the Cybils, except that it was published in 2003, and so isn't eligible.

The two other books in The Longlight Legacy are Freewalker and The Keeper's Shadow. I'm really looking forward to reading the rest of the series.

Reviews of The Dark Dreamweaver

I wanted to share some of the latest reviews of my husband's book, The Dark Dreamweaver:

• Becky of Becky's Book Reviews, said, "...there are many other characters, both good and bad, that make this magical read worth the time." Read her entire review.
  
• Daisy of Compost Happens (I love the name of her blog!) had this to say:
  

  I enjoyed The Dark Dreamweaver and look forward to the continuing saga of The Remin Chronicles. I can willingly recommend this book to those who enjoy fantasy, but may not be advanced enough readers to tackle some of the longer books in the genre.

  Read her entire review.
  
• A bunch of bloggers in the MotherTalk network reviewed the book a couple of weeks ago. Here's a wrap-up post with links to the original reviews. I'm sorry for not listing each of you individually, but I'm grateful just the same!
  

Many many thanks to all of you who took the time to read the book and share your thoughts.

Cybils 2007 now open for nominations

The 2007 Cybil awards are now open for nominations! If you aren't familiar with the Cybils, it's an award started last year by the children's literature community to recognize the best children's and YA books of the year. There are 8 categories: Fantasy/Science Fiction, Fiction Picture Books, Graphic Novels, Middle Grade Fiction, Non-Fiction: Middle Grade and Young Adult, Non-Fiction Picture Books, Poetry, and Young Adult Fiction.

To nominate a book, first read the short but important rules. Then, post your nomination as a comment on the nominations post for the appropriate category at the Cybils blog. If you can't figure out what category a book belongs in, do your best to choose the most appropriate category. If the organizers feel that it should be in a different category, we'll move it.

One nomination per person per category. And, please check the previous nominations first! Duplicate nominations don't help a book, so if you nominate a book that's already been nominated, you are wasting your nomination! Each book is judged on its own merits; the number of nominations it gets has absolutely no bearing!