I Spy With My Little Eye

 



Published:  February 5th, 2013
Etiquette and Espionage (Finishing School # 1)
By: Gail Carriger
Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
ISBN-13:  9780316190084

It's one thing to learn to curtsy properly. It's quite another to learn to curtsy and throw a knife at the same time. Welcome to Finishing School.

Fourteen-year-old Sophronia is a great trial to her poor mother. Sophronia is more interested in dismantling clocks and climbing trees than proper manners—and the family can only hope that company never sees her atrocious curtsy. Mrs. Temminick is desperate for her daughter to become a proper lady. So she enrolls Sophronia in Mademoiselle Geraldine's Finishing Academy for Young Ladies of Quality.

But Sophronia soon realizes the school is not quite what her mother might have hoped. At Mademoiselle Geraldine's, young ladies learn to finish...everything. Certainly, they learn the fine arts of dance, dress, and etiquette, but they also learn to deal out death, diversion, and espionage—in the politest possible ways, of course. Sophronia and her friends are in for a rousing first year's education.

Set in the same world as the Parasol Protectorate, this YA series debut is filled with all the saucy adventure and droll humor Gail Carriger's legions of fans have come to adore.

Review

 

     The last thing Sophronia wants is to become a proper, Victorian lady like her Mother and older sisters.  But she may not have a choice, after one too many tomboyish escapades send her Mother over the edge, and land her in finishing school.  On the journey to school Sophronia learns that things aren't always what they appear, after her carriage is attacked and she is forced to save the day.  Once at the school (which just happens to float and constantly be on the move!) she and her friends uncover a plot by evildoers to steal a mysterious prototype.  When it seems like none of the teachers will believe anything they say, it is up to Sophronia and her friends to outwit mean-girl Monique and pull of the mission of a lifetime, using all of the unusual talents they possess.  But can they obtain the prototype before the villains do?  And will Sophronia learn how to act civilized before her sister's coming-out ball?  Only time will tell...

     So, I have never read the author's adult series The Parasol Protectorate.  I seem to be one of the few who read this book that can claim such a thing!  That said, I'm kind of glad that I went into it with fresh eyes.  Sophronia was a funny, if somewhat stereotypical heroine going against the grain of average society.  There was a lot of talk about her not conforming, but I think a lot of it had to do with her wanting to do the opposite of her sisters and Mother - which is a normal teenage attitude.  The inclusion of steampunk into the Victorian world isn't anything new, but I liked that it existed as a sort of secret society, in conjunction with the history that we are already familiar with.  The school and it's use of robotic servants, crazy architecture and wonderful engine room was a great place for a story to be set.  All the same, the continuous girl-drama did get annoying to me after awhile.  I mean, I definitely expected this to be more of an adventure book than a Victorian Mean Girls send off.  The beginning and end were all constant action and fast paced fun, while the middle sort of stagnated with the obvious world building and character placements/minor character developments.  Overall it was a fun romp and I'm interested to see where the series goes.  I'd recommend it to fans of paranormal, YA adventure if they don't mind zero romantic presence and lite steampunk.

 

 VERDICT:  4/5  Stars

 

**No money or favors were exchanged for this review. This book is now available in stores, online, or maybe even at your local library.**

Necromancing My Heart

Published:  September 18th, 2012
Necromancing the Stone (Necromancer # 2)By: Lish McBride
Henry Holt & Company
ISBN-13:   9780805090994

With the defeat of the evil Douglas behind him, Sam LaCroix is getting used to his new life. Okay, so he hadn’t exactly planned on being a powerful necromancer with a seat on the local magical council and a capricious werewolf sort-of-girlfriend, but things are going fine, right?

Well . . . not really. He’s pretty tired of getting beat up by everyone and their mother, for one thing, and he can’t help but feel that his new house hates him. His best friend is a werebear, someone is threatening his sister, and while Sam realizes that he himself has a lot of power at his fingertips, he’s not exactly sure how to use it. Which, he has to admit, is a bit disconcerting.

But when everything starts falling apart, he decides it’s time to step up and take control. His attempts to do so just bring up more questions, though, the most important of which is more than a little alarming: Is Douglas really dead?

Review

 

     Sam is just starting to adjust to life in Douglas' mansion, dealing with being a member of the local council and getting a grip on his necromancing powers.  He is finally starting to move past the horror of his fight with Douglas and all the pain the other man caused - but he's dead now, so it's over...right?  With a betrayer inside Sam's close knit circle, it isn't long before the shit starts to hit the fan again.  When strange things start happening and the people he loves begin to be threatened, Sam starts to question if he actually killed Douglas completely.  And if not, how do you destroy a ghost once and for all?  I was really excited for this book after the hilarity and overall fun of the first one.  I wasn't disappointed and the book drops you in right where Hold Me Close, Necromancer left off.  Sam is living in Douglas' house, using his wealth to make his friends' lives better.  And to hopefully make up for all the pain his secret powers have caused everyone.  His relationship with Brid is starting to feel more serious and the disapproval of the pack isn't standing in their way, but it is making Sam uncomfortable.  James, the personal servant of Douglas, is having trouble switching allegiances and is making things difficult for Sam, encouraging the other inhabitants of the property to make his life hellish.  These inhabitants include garden gnomes, a fierce warrior race, with names like The Darkness Known as Mittens, Gnome ChompSky, Chauncey the Devourer of Souls, Gnoman Polanski, and Chuck the Norriser.  Also, there is a minotaur and some nymphs who like to party.  My personal favorite was the pygmy chupacabra named Taco that becomes Sam's pet!  I liked the buildup between James and Sam's sister Haley, it was very sweet. 

     My main disappointment was the devillainization of Douglas at the end of the book to make him seem more sympathetic and human.  It just didn't ring true with the rest of the book.  I mean for chrissakes, the man has a zombie Keanu Reeves as HIS MINION!!!  The romance between Brid and Sam, with it's manufactured agnst at the death of her Father was ridiculous and the distrust she suddenly had for Sam was hard to swallow.  Overall this managed to avoid second book syndrome with some fairly clever dialogue, interesting new characters and decent plot twists.  But it did end up being somewhat mediocre compared to the series' stunning debut.

 

P.S.  The extra half star in the rating is courtesy of Thunder Gnome.  It made me laugh so hard I almost cried.

 

VERDICT:  3.5/5  Stars

 

*No money or favors were exchanged for this review. This book is now available in stores, online, or maybe even at your local library.*

Our Love Is Elemental

Published: March 27th, 2012
Elemental (Elemental # 0.5)
By: Brigid Kemmerer
Kensington Teen
ASIN:  B006MLKZAG

Earth, Fire, Air, Water – they are more than you dream.

As an air Elemental, 17-year-old Emily Morgan doesn’t have much power. That’s okay—she knows what happens to kids who do.

Like Michael Merrick. He’s an earth Elemental, one with enough power to level cities. Which makes him sexy. Dangerous. And completely off limits. At least according to Emily’s family.

But her summer job puts her in close contact with Michael, and neither of them can help the attraction they feel. When forces of nature like theirs collide, one misstep could get someone killed. Because Emily’s family doesn’t just want her to stay away from him.

They want him dead.

Review

   In a world that harbors people with power linked to the elements, Michael Merrick shouldn't be that unusual.  But given that he has enough power to probably level the entire town if his emotions get out of control, he's different from the other earth Elementals.  His parents have made a deal with the rest of the Elemental community that as long as he doesn't use his powers, they'll allow him to stay alive - but that doesn't mean they're going to stop trying to provoke him into slipping up.  Emily Morgan is an air Elemental from a wealthy family and has been told her entire life that Michael is dangerous and off-limits.  She never questioned it, until her brother came home with a black eye and she found out that he got it from jumping one of Michael's younger brothers.  Now, working at the batting cages/driving range where he goes twice a week after work, Emily is frightened at first to be around him.  But soon he has her questioning the truth of her life, her family and the very definition of danger.  Can they bridge the gap that hate has caused between their families?  Or will their story have a tragic ending?  I have been hearing so much about this series lately, about 99% of it glowing praise, that I decided to take the plunge into reading it sooner rather than later.  I absolutely loved this short story!  I don't usually read them, but after hearing that it made Michael seem more sympathetic than book # 1 (Storm), I chose to read in sequence including the short stories.  I like that the story manages to showcase the differences between Michael and Emily's family lives in such a short period of time.  He loves his family and they want the best for him, trying to protect him at every turn.  Her family is more distant and cold, stiffling in their protectiveness.  I appreciated that Emily, as much as she was desperate to escape her life, had never realized until meeting Michael just how sheltered and inclusive she really was.  Emily thought she was so different, but had instinctively believed eveything her parents and brother Tyler told her.  When Michael and Emily truly begin to interact it turns intense pretty fast.  I love the initial standoff with Em wielding the golf club.  It made me crack up.  My main complaint is that Brigid got my heart racing and my mind going crazy, only to end on a cliffhanger!  Then book # 1 picked up years later, with a different brother as the focal point!  What the h-e-double hockeysticks HAPPENED???  Now I have to read all of them just to find out!  I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys paranormal romance with some snarky attitude and awesome characters - but do yourself a favor, and have the next one on hand to read immediately afterwards!

VERDICT:  4.25/5  Stars

*No money or favors were exchanged for this review. This book is now available online.  I purchased my copy at Amazon.com*