A "Serie"-ous Review: Song of the Lioness by Tamora Pierce

Tortall:  The Song of the Lioness by Tamora Pierce

A coworker at the library suggested this book for my Adult Summer Reading Club Bingo.  She said she didn't like Harry Potter because she read this series first.  To me, this is still fantasy, but it is a different sort of fantasy than Harry Potter.  I would put this more in a "classic" fantasy where it is set in a completely different world.

I'd review each book individually, but this is better off reviewed as a whole.  The basic plot is that Alanna is far better suited to be a knight than her twin brother Thom, who wants to be a sorcerer.  Alanna and Thom switch spots with Thom being trained in magic and Alanna being trained as Alan of Trebond as a knight.

The series follows Alanna as she learns to control her magic and use it for good.  She must learn who to trust, including herself, as she goes on many wild adventures and grows from Alan of Trebond into Alanna, the Lioness Rampant.  She faces and defeats many foes until she is ready for the penultimate confrontation.

She is a strong, confidant girl who grows into an amazing woman.  Although she hides and denies her femininity at first as part of her disguise, she learns to embrace it.  Her growth in this area reminds me of this part from Avatar:  The Last Airbender:  

I would definitely suggest this to older teens and adults as there is some sensitive topics (puberty, birth control, implied sex) who are more emotionally capable to handle these implications.

Similar Series (Strong Independent Woman Protagonist)

The Enchanted Forest Chronicles by Patricia C. Wrede (Ages 8+)

Princess Pulverizer by Nancy E. Krulik (Ages 5+)

The Princess in Black by Shannon Hale (Ages 5+)

The Belgariad by David Eddings (Ages 13+)

Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas (Ages 18+)

Wonder Woman (All Ages)

Book Review: Every Tool's A Hammer by Adam Savage

Oh wow!  This was so amazing!  As a cosplayer, I found this book so inspirational and helpful.  It was so great that I found that we share some of the same traits.  I will also pause the movie and make screenshots and try to figure out the dimensions from surroundings.  I always thought that made me obsessive and annoying, but apparently this is a great trait to have if you are a cosplayer.  After all, the attention is in the details!

He also talks about his history, how he and Jamie met and how Mythbusters was created.  I really enjoyed his discussion of workshop layout and how it is a very personal thing.  This is also a philosophy book which talks about different maker mindsets and how different opportunities can take you places you didn't expect, but needed to go.

Every maker, no matter what stage, should read this book!

A "Serie"ous Review: The Mapmaker's Trilogy by S.E. Grove

          

The Mapmaker's Trilogy by S.E. Grove

In The Glass Sentence, we travel with Sophia on an adventure where she follows the directions of a mysterious glass map.  She finds and makes new allies along the way including a new companion named Theo.  The politics of the time echo our own.

In The Golden Specific, she sets out on a mission to find her parents after being given a hint to their whereabouts by a mysterious benefactor at the Nihilism archives.  We also meet some interesting new characters and find out more about the different Ages across the globe.

In The Crimson Skew, Sophia and her companions arrive back in North America only to find everything in disarray.  She continues onward to find her parents and along the way gathers the necessary allies as they all head towards their shared destiny.

I honestly picked up the first book on a whim from the library.  I wasn't really reading anything at the time and wanted something interesting.  The cover captured my eye and the description on the back clinched the deal.  Sophia is a strong, independent female character who accepts her companions as they are.  The plots are compelling and, once the world building is out of the way, very fast paced.  You will read the entire trilogy just to see what happens next.  This is a wonderful fantasy series!

Other similar series:

His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman


Northern Lights is the adult edition of The Golden Compass.

Enchanted Forest Chronicles by Patricia C. Wrede



Inkheart by Cornelia Funke

Book Review: Cosplay Crash Course by Mina Petrović: A Complete Guide to Designing Cosplay Wigs, Makeup and Accessories

Cosplay Crash Course: A Complete Guide to Designing Cosplay Wigs, Makeup and Accessories by Mina Petrović

As an amateur cosplayer myself, it showed me how easy it can be to create all the necessary details to complete an outfit. While I'm not particularly interested in making armour, I really appreciated the instructions to make boot covers. Although I do end up online looking for tips, this book laid out instructions in precise detail and doesn't require an internet connection. I read this on my Kobo and as a result they were black and white. Despite this, the photos were very clear and helpful. I can only imagine that they look much better in colour and on a larger screen! A great reference book for any cosplayer!

#netgalley #cosplaycrashcourse

Book Review: Twilight Empress

This book is 2 years old at this point, so why it is still up on Netgalley is beyond me.  Although I took Classical Studies in my undergrad, my classes covered to Constantine.  I am fascinated by this portrayal of Rome and its rulers from this period.

It is a fascinating novel that takes place in Italy just following the fall of Rome.  When Rome is sacked by the Goths, Galla Placidia, sister to the emperor, is taken as a prisoner of war.  Being used as a political pawn doesn’t sit well with her, so she sets her own destiny and builds a life among the Goths.  When her life takes another unexpected turn, she is named Augusta. She is forced to live a life of politics and intrigue up until the very end.

The pacing in this book is excellent!  I could not put it down. I very much enjoyed the secondary characters and how they were used as foils to reflect the change in her.  It was also a realistic portrayal of her being torn between her duties to the empire and her heart.

#TwilightEmpress #NetGalley

Book Review: The Glass Sentence

The Glass Sentence by S.E. Grove

This was an amazing book that was hard to put down! When I did put it down over the Easter weekend, it was with great reluctance. When I started reading it, I couldn't stop until I got to the ending!  I stayed up much too late to find out what happened.
In 1799 the world experienced the Great Disruption in which something happened so that time in the world was fractured and then came together in different times. The year is now 1891, Sophia is the daughter of two explorers who have gone on an adventure, leaving her with her uncle Shadrock. When he is kidnapped, she goes after him with the help of Theo. Together, they have great adventures while searching for him and heading into danger. Will Sophia be able to decipher the map in time or will she doom the entire world?
Read Alikes: The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman
The Son of Neptune by Rick Riordan

Book Review: Grilled Cheese and Dragons #1

Grilled Cheese and Dragons #1 by Nancy Krulik

This book was amazing! The Princess Serena, or as she prefers to be called, Princess Pulverizer wants to join Knight School. When she begs and pleads her father to allow her to attend, he instead sends her off on a Quest of Kindness in order to gain more knightly attributes. She must perform 8 acts of kindness and have proof of each one. However, her plans go a little awry when she meets some unexpected help.
I read it aloud to my niece and she absolutely adored it. She is 5 and understood the concepts quite well. However, I would say that the reading level is more around 8 or 9. There are also great illustrations and, thankfully for my voice, short chapters.
Read a likes include Princess in Black by Shannon Hale and Dealing with Dragons by Patricia C. Wrede.

Book Review: One Night of Scandal

One Night of Scandal by Darcy Burke

I really enjoyed this book! When Jack Barrett catches Lady Viola Fairfax attempting to sneak into a gentlemen's club, he escorts her home. Lady Viola is horrified that anyone saw through her disguise as Tavistock and immediately complies. However, fate throws them together when they decide to investigate the rumour that a peer was behind the attempt on the Prince Regent. But when the tables are turned against them by unknown political enemies and she defends him against accusations that he is a radical, she creates a scandal, there is only one solution: marriage. When these accusations put them both in danger, will she realize that some things are more important than her ideals?
I really liked Lady Viola! She's my kind of girl. Although she is headstrong, she recognizes when her actions are futile and when she can fight back. I really enjoyed that she didn't do anything in order to prove Jack wrong or make her point. Jack is a good person and tries to do what is best for Viola even when she resists. He knows when to capitulate to her. I also liked the pacing of the book as I had a really hard time putting it down towards the end. I feel that had I read the previous books in this series, I would have a much better feel for the characters.

#OneNightofScandal #NetGalley

Review: The Night Circus

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

The night circus is the venue for two magicians to compete by proxy each choosing a child as a game piece. They grow up learning different methods of magic and then they compete with each other, not knowing the horrible truth of the game until it is nearly too late.

The story is told from multiple points of view over different periods of time we see how the night circus came to be. This book has everything: love, revenge, magic, fantasy (it doesn't have pirates.  If you want pirates as well, read The Princess Bride by William Goldman).

This book was amazing! Once I got into it, I just couldn't put it down! The plot was very fast-paced and switched points of view (P.O.V) pretty much every chapter. However, the switches between P.O.V were so smooth that it didn't bother me at all. It took me a little while to figure out the changes between time, but at the beginning of every chapter (in tiny tiny print) there are the dates.  I referenced them frequently at first to see what was going on, but as I got to the end, I didn't need to reference them anymore because the pace and events picked up as I got closer to the end of the book. It is a circular story as well because the end of the book is the beginning of the book.

It is well worth the read!  People who would enjoy this are people who enjoy historical fantasy set in the real world or steampunk.

Review: Dynamic Dames (Turner Classic Movies): 50 Leading Ladies Who Made History

Dynamic Dames (Turner Classic Movies): 50 Leading Ladies Who Made History by Sloan De Forest
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I chose this book to read for a couple of reasons. The first is that in the #MeToo era, this book is exactly what is needed to promote strong female characters. Dynamic Dames indeed! The second reason is my knowledge on classic films is somewhat lacking. It covers characters and actresses from classic to contemporary films. I learned more about classic movies and can’t wait to start watching them!

The layout is wonderful and I like that you can hop around if you want to read about a particular actress or character. I also like the chapter titles, with the exception of Fatal Females because I prefer the French “Femmes Fatales”, which evokes more of a classic feeling for me. The writing is concise, fun and flows well. I like that the individual articles are short, but my favourite part was the little tidbit at the end with extra information that didn’t necessarily fit into the flow of the section. If your favourite actress or character wasn’t in the book, be sure to check the list of “More Dynamic Dames” at the end. If want to find out more about some of your favourite actresses, there is a bibliography following this section.

I read this on my Kobo and then looked at the photos on my computer. The photos look ok on the kobo, but they really stood out on my screen.

I know that this book hasn’t been published yet, but I’ve already suggested this book to my sister as I think that both she and her daughters would enjoy it.

#DynamicDamesTurnerClassicMovies  #NetGalley

A "Serie"ous Review: The Broken Earth by N.K. Jemisin

I forget how I found this series.  I think it was during a brief period where I had just finished reading a number of romance novels and wanted some fantasy to read.  Once I started reading this series, I was pulled in and just had to read the next one!

The first book, The Fifth Season, is written from Essun's point of view.  It starts in the present with the horrific murder of her son and kidnapping of her daughter by her husband, but as she travels through her destroyed world, she also tells the reader about her past.

The middle book, The Obelisk Gate, is when her past and present collides at what she considers to be her new home.  This is when she discovers that no matter where she goes, politics will always be affecting her.  We also hear from Nassun what happened when her father kidnapped her and afterwards.

In this stunning conclusion of the series, The Stone Sky, it is told in several different voices.  The voice of Hoa, speaks of his and indeed, the earth's past.  Nassun has been forced to grow up all too quickly in this fifth season and we find out what choices she makes when she is pushed to the edge.  Will her mother's love for her win her over or will she decide that everything must be cleansed?

I really liked this fantasy series!  Although I'm not normally into something this gritty, it is nowhere near as gritty as The Game of Thrones.  I thought it was a good balance.  I found the last book a little heavy as she explores several serious topics all at once.  It was fascinating how she used the different voices to intertwine the stories and lessons, so it didn't necessarily come off as heavy handed as it could have.  She also tied up all the loose threads by the end of the book, which was amazing.  I highly suggest this series for all fantasy fans!

Review: Duchess by Design

Duchess by Design by Maya Rodale

The premise is very simple:  The duke of Kingston has come to New York City to find a heiress.  When he runs into a well dressed lady in the lobby of the hotel and sees her entering a room, he believes he has found his heiress.  Miss Adeline Black is a seamstress who wants to create feminine and functional clothing.  When she meets and flirts with the duke on her way to a fitting, she sees it as harmless, but when he finds out who she is and follows her back to her employer's establishment and she is fired because of his carelessness, she assumes that she will never see him again.

This book was amazing! I loved the characters and their very feminist point of views. I also liked that the setting was different because it was set in the Victorian age in New York City. It was really hard to put down because I wanted to see how each situation would resolve. Would she see the Duke again? When? Why? How were they going to resolve their different points of view? The main characters really had wonderful chemistry which resulted in an incredible steamy love scene close to the end. The conversations, including the witty flirty banter, between Adeline and Kingston were also so much fun to read.

I can't wait to read the next one in the series!

Review: The Fifth Season

The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin

In a parallel Earth, a cataclysmic event occurs in which the capital city of the Empire is consumed in flames and threatens all life on the Earth. This story is about a woman and her search for her missing daughter after her husband murders their son after this cataclysmic event takes place.

This was an amazing book! It is written so well. I love the characters as they are so complex. I also truly enjoy that there are LGBQT+ characters in this book. I was a little confused at first as to what was happening since the author switches between the past and the present, but as the author approaches present day, I figured out what was happening. The world building is very good as well since you feel like you are somewhere similar, but not our Earth.  Also, when I downloaded the ePub, I was warned it was an ePub3, but I don't feel I missed out on anything by reading it on a "traditional" eReader. I can't wait to read the sequel!

I would suggest this book for anyone who is really into big worlds and don't mind the grittiness of the world.  So, people who enjoyed Game of Thrones, this book is for  you!

Review: India Black

India Black by Carol K. Carr








I really enjoyed this book! The characters are well written. The plot is very interesting and fast-paced, more of an intrigue or spy novel than a mystery. I also like how the author uses the Victorian setting. The language takes a bit getting used to, especially the Victorian slang, but it is interesting to read a book written in what is essentially another dialect of English.

The book starts off rather innocently with a regular patron, Bowser, of the brothel passing away of a heart attack and the girl he was with doing a runner. However, soon the madam, India Black, finds herself in a web of intrigue where nothing is as it seems and to save the British Empire, she needs to get the case Bowser was carrying with him back.

Review: Neil Patrick Harris: Choose Your Own Autobiography

Neil Patrick Harris: Choose Your Own Autobiography by Neil Patrick Harris

I love Neil Patrick Harris!  I first watched him in Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog, then in How I Met Your Mother.  I was so happy to find out that he published his own autobiography because although I love to watch him (I just started watching A Series of Unfortunate Events on Netflix), I don't really know all that much about his life.
I read the ebook version. In the grand tradition of choose your own adventure, I died more than once.  I found that the links didn't work very well at first, but I figured it out eventually.  There are also pictures at the end which didn't show well on my Kobo because it is black and white.

I actually really enjoyed reading about him.  Even when I died, I found it entertaining because it was written in such a hilarious manner.  I would actually suggest reading a physical copy of the book if possible.  There is also an audiobook available read by NPH and although I love his voice, I'm not sure how the listener would choose the next chapter of the book.

Picture Book Reviews from Inhabit Media

It was my niece's third birthday recently and I wanted to get her something special.  My sister told me that she was really getting into longer more involved stories like The Balloon Tree by Phoebe Gilman.  She also really enjoys A Promise Is A Promise by Robert Munsch.  I wanted to get her something that I didn't think she would get from anyone else.  I found out about this Canadian publishing company based in Iqaluit while at the OLA Super Conference.  I saw the vendor booth on the trade show, but Akilak's Adventure was also mentioned at the talk about Diverse Books.

I went to Chapters and it was kind of a pain to find these books since they are filed in different sections of 3 - 5 year old storytime books, but I persevered and the results were totally worth it!  Although I was tempted to get The Owl and the Lemming, I didn't think my niece would like that one as much.  The books that I eventually chose were The Caterpillar Woman and Akilak's Adventure.

This is a really interesting story about a girl who gives her jacket to a strange woman and takes on the appearance of a caterpillar.  When hunters come to her tent, she helps them and one of them takes her as his wife.  Eventually, she becomes her beautiful self again and her husband becomes young and handsome in this fairy tale ending.  There are a lot of words that are a little difficult to pronounce, but there is an Inuktitut pronunciation guide in the back.  In addition to the wonderful story, the pictures are done in very muted colours and have a very smooth texture, similar to watercolours.  My niece actually preferred this book and after we read it once, we read it several more times that evening until my voice started to get all croaky.

This is a fun story about Akilak who sets out on an adventure to her uncle's camp in order to get more food for her grandmother.  I thought this was going to take on a Red Riding Hood kind of twist, but it didn't.  It is a girl who goes on a physical journey, but also embarks on a journey of self-discovery.  I really liked the illustrations in this book as they struck me as being similar to Martchenko's drawings in Munsch's books.  Although I read this book to my niece, she preferred the other, at least at the time.

I really am looking forward to other books with which this publishing house will produce and am definitely keeping on eye on them for unique wonderful stories that are Canadian.

Review: The Invisible Library

The Invisible Library by Genevieve Cogman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book is amazing! I really enjoyed it once I got going. Irene is a librarian for the Invisible Library. The Invisible Library basically is a hub at the center of of L-space (Pratchett fans will get this) which allows librarians into alternate universes to collect unique pieces of literature and where time does not pass.
Irene is a librarian who is sent on a standard mission of search and retrieval. However, this time, she has a student with her named Kai. The librarian who meets them, Dominic Aubrey, gives them the information they need to retrieve the book, clothes, etc. However, things soon go down the drain as Irene and Kai get caught up in the politics of this world and then find out that Alberic, the one librarian who betrayed the Invisible Library, is also in the world and determined to get his hands on the text. Events reach a climax as all the different factions in this world who are determined to get their hands on this book clash.

This book is a good mash-up of sci-fi (steampunk), fantasy (magic, vampires, fae, werewolves) and action/adventure.  Fans of steampunk, specifically Gail Carriger's Parasol Protectorate series, will enjoy this.  Librarians and archivists will also love this book as it involves trans-dimensional travel in order to save books.  Overall, I would say that the book isn't terribly gritty except in a few parts where it becomes violent and the descriptions get gory.

Amazing New Fantasy Series!

Rise of the Dragons by Morgan Rice
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed this book! The characters are well-balanced and the plot moves quite quickly. The main focus of the book is on Kyra, daughter of Commander Duncan. However, she isn't like all the other girls as she'd rather be training with weapons rather than learning domestic skills. When she slays a boar who was going to kill her brothers on Winter Moon, she changes her destiny forever.

This book also follows the story of Merk, a mercenary who is unsure of what to do now that the king surrendered and Alec, a boy who took his lame brother's place to be sent to the Flames, the purpose of which is to keep the trolls out of the country. At the same time, you also meet the Troll King, who is much more cunning and cruel than any who has come before.

I've never read anything by this particular author before, but I would suggest it to people who like their fantasy a little bit gritty as the writing style is similar to George R. R. Martin.

How I Discovered: Terry Brooks

I discovered Terry Brooks when I was in high school.  Basically, I found Terry Brooks because he was really close to Piers Anthony.  I did not start off with his more popular Shannara series.  The first series I ever read and loved by Terry Brooks all started when I read Magic Kingdom for Sale -- Sold!.  This is the Magic Kingdom of Landover series, which I loved because it all seemed a little ridiculous to me.  The reason that I really enjoyed this story was because it started in the real world and then transitioned into the kingdom of Landover, is traditional fantasy and is ever so slightly ridiculous.  Although there is a whole series, I really do prefer to read the first book by itself.  Also, I just looked at goodreads.com and there is a sixth edition to the series.  However, it was published 14 years after the fifth book and I don't think that I'll be re-reading the whole series just to read the sixth book.

The basic plot is that the main character, Ben Holiday, no longer wishes to live in the real world.  Although he is a successful lawyer with a lot of money, life has nothing to offer him anymore.  However, he sees an ad and believes it is an elaborate hoax that someone is playing on him.  Being a lawyer and also filled with curiosity, Ben Holiday decides to respond to the ad.  He ends up purchasing the Kingdom, only to find that it was not quite as advertised.  Sterling Castle isn't quite as sterling, there are all kinds of monsters and the taxes haven't been collected in quite a long time.  In addition, there is a mysterious knight who keeps popping up every time that Ben is in danger.  Who is the knight and what does he have to do with Ben?  You'll have to read it to find out!

Once I finished this series, I started in the Shannara series.  I just gave up after a while.  It seemed like there was no end to the series and sub-series.  It is a traditional fantasy series, but unlike Landover, doesn't really seem to poke as much fun at itself.  Combine those two facts and I just got bored with the series.  If  you like fantasy, I would suggest the original Shannara Trilogy.  If you like those, you'll like the others in the sequel series as well.

      

Why Steampunk Is So Much Fun

This weekend is Comiccon.  I went yesterday on Saturday, and now I think it is time to discuss one of my favorite topics, Steampunk.  I’ve only recently gotten into this aspect of science fiction.  Some of you might already be familiar with Steampunk.  One of the reasons steampunk is so great is that it allows for all kinds of creativity and there are all kinds of sub-genres.  Some of you might be familiar with Western Steampunk, Firefly & Wild, Wild, West are examples of that.  I went to the steampunk cosplay session and one of the tips they gave was that it is all about expressing yourself, so be creative and have fun.

One of my favorite quotes is actually from a Castle episode called “Punked” which is all about a murder that takes place in the steampunk community in New York City.  This is one of the best definitions I’ve ever heard:  “It's a subculture that embraces the simplicity and romance of the past at the same time, couples it with the hope and promise and sheer super-coolness of futuristic design”.

When it comes to Steampunk, there are so many books, so I’m going to discuss a couple of my favorite non-fiction books and steampunk author.  Also, I borrowed all of the below books from my local library, so if you are interested, be sure to check them out.

One of my favorite steampunk non-fiction books is Steampunk Your Wardrobe by Calista Taylor.  This is one of the best books to look at if you are looking to modify clothing so it is more steampunk.  I am really looking forward to trying a number of crafts from this book.  Basically, find what you want to do, go to the thrift store and adapt.

The other non-fiction book I really like is titled Steampunk Emporium by Jema Hewitt.  In fact, I made a choker based on one from this book.  That is the great thing about steampunk.  I didn’t like the choker in the book, it just wasn’t me, so I made my choker more to my taste.

As for fiction, there is one name that stands out in my mind as a steampunk author, Gail Carriger.  I absolutely love her books!  She has a wonderful sense of humor and the characters in her book are wonderfully written.  She also writes strong female leads.  It is a perfect blend of science fiction (steampunk) and fantasy (vampires/werewolves) elements.  In chronological order, you should read the Finishing School series, the Soulless series and the Custard Protocol (her newest) series.  In publication order for the series, it is Soulless, Finishing School and then Custard Protocol.  I suggest reading it in chronological order as I read it in publication order and now find myself somewhat confused by the Custard Protocol because it is recalling events that occurred at the end of the Soulless series.

Finishing School

          

Soulless

          

The Custard Protocol