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Adventure June 8, 2012

Epic Pets of Novels

#6 Buttercup the cat from The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins

For those of you who have read Catching Fire, you will know that this cat can survive anything!

#5 Khufu, the baboon from The Kane Chronicles series by Rick Riordan

Why is the baboon so epic? Because he’s a lot smarter than he may first appear to be and because he could school Carter at a game of basketball any day of the week! He’s also very useful on their frequent missions to save the world.

I DO NOT OWN THIS FAB ARTWORK!

Khufu playing some B-ball!

#4 Philip of Macedonia the albino crocodile from The Kane Chronicles series by Rick Riordan

Though technically not really an animal, this albino croc is extremely loyal and brave. You should read the bit where he helps the Kanes against Sobek’s crocs. Not to mention he’s easy to travel with in his shabti form. Don’t know what that is? Read the series!

#3 Mrs O’Leary the hellhound from The Battle of the Labryinth (Percy Jackson series) by Rick Riordan

Most teenagers have normal dogs but Percy Jackson has a hellhound for a pet. He is not normal. It probably isn’t even in his vocabulary. Mrs O’Leary is sweet for the most part but she’s also amazing and she can be very dangerous, so don’t forget to feed her if it’s your turn to do so!

#2 Bernie Kosar the dog (sort of) from I Am Number Four (The Lorien Legacies) series by Pittacus Lore

I don’t want to give away too much but this dog is so not what it seemed at first. If you’ve seen the movie or read the book, then you know how amazing this dog is.

#1 Grimalkin the faery cat from The Iron Fey series by Julie Kagawa

Not an actual book. A fan made art cover

Do I have to give a reason for Grimalkin’s awesomeness? If asked himself he simply replies “I am a cat!”

Buttercup is a cat too you say? Fine. He’s epic because he is a faery cat! He can be rather cryptic and what with him disappearing all the time he is somewhat like the Cheshire cat, I suppose. It’s clear from the beginning that he only stuck around to help Meg out because she was amusing. I wonder if somewhere deep inside if he really cares about her though. One can only wonder…

Action June 6, 2012

The Iron Knight by Julie Kagawa

I hadn’t initially intended on reading this book. I was satisfied with the ending of The Iron Queen. What can I say? I like a good tragedy from time to time. If I can’t have Ash, no one can! But honestly, it took until the end of this book until I was satisfied with Meg’s decision. In the first book, I won’t say that I didn’t like Ash. The whole ‘I’m going to kill you’ thing was actually kind of amusing. But I was Team Puck for the majority of the time, and by the third book I still hadn’t truly made up my mind. The Iron Knight erased all doubts. And this is why….

But first, let’s take a while to look over at the synopsis and awesome trailer.

Ash, former prince of the Winter Court, gave up everything. His title, his home, even his vow of loyalty. All for a girl… and all for nothing.

Unless he can earn a soul.

To cold, emotionless faery prince Ash, love was a weakness for mortals and fools. His own love had died a horrible death, killing any gentler feelings the Winter prince might have had. Or so he thought.

Then Meghan Chase—a half human, half fey slip of a girl— smashed through his barricades, binding him to her irrevocably with his oath to be her knight. And when all of Faery nearly fell to the Iron fey, she severed their bond to save his life. Meghan is now the Iron Queen, ruler of a realm where no Winter or Summer fey can survive.

With the (unwelcome) company of his archrival, Summer Court prankster Puck, and the infuriating cait sith Grimalkin, Ash begins a journey he is bound to see through to its end— a quest to find a way to honor his solemn vow to stand by Meghan’s side.

To survive in the Iron realm, Ash must have a soul and a mortal body. But the tests he must face to earn these things are impossible. At least, no one has ever passed to tell the tale.

And then Ash learns something that changes everything. A truth that turns reality upside down, challenges his darkest beliefs and shows him that, sometimes, it takes more than courage to make the ultimate sacrifice.

Book Cover

Beautiful, as usual. It was nice to have Ash at the front and Puck at the back, with that slight rueful smile. Once again the theme is blue for Winter, as it was in The Iron Daughter. I used to have a thing against seeing faces on covers as it doesn’t give me much room to imagine what the characters look like for myself. Unfortunately, many YA books still have photographs of characters on the front cover. For the most part, however, Kagawa’s books have been handled with care and the characters look more or less how I would imagine them. But on to the important things that the author actually has something to do with.

Settings

I have this thing about descriptions. I like them. They’re very important as its what lets you truly imagine. But I have this awful tendency of skipping them when they get too much. I think that Kagawa handles them with care though. It’s not over the top but it’s enough, and very well done. This is especially important in fantasy books because impossible settings are brought to life. I particularly liked her description of The End of the World and the river that they followed.

Characters

Grimalkin & the Wolf: What can I say? Their banter was the next best thing since Puck and Ash. The cait sith is forever calling the Wolf a dog, and he takes great offence to this, of course. I hadn’t expected to like the Wolf, though I never got to read Winter’s Passage, which is a shame. Still, it was very clear that the Wolf was bad news as soon as he appeared, and I was terrified he’d kill someone I loved, like Puck! I mean, pffh, of course Ash was going to live. Grimalkin was the same old, same old. Infuriating, cryptic, and wise. Kagawa even slipped in his famous line: I am a cat! Love it.

Ash: This is his story and it was a pleasure to finally get into his mind. I was mad that he was only doing this whole quest to keep his stupid oath so that he wouldn’t unravel and die, or worse. In the end, I was satisfied because he made up his mind on his own, with no oath to dictate his decision. Throughout the tests, he finally found out what it meant to be mortal, and he came to finally face all the horrors he had committed in the past. Ash really grew in this novel and I loved seeing him finally discover who he is really was. Not Ash, the Winter Prince- the cold and ruthless faery he had come to despise. He is the Iron Knight.

Puck: This book wasn’t about him, of course and as usual, we didn’t get to delve too deep into his character. On the other hand, I think that he was vital in this novel. Puck was Ash’s best friend before Ariella died and he swore to kill him to avenge her. He provided the comic relief, as usual, which was good because this quest was very important and death defying. The two of them finally resolved the feud between them and I just wanted to cry from the bromance 😀

I know that there is another vital character that I’ve missed out but mentioning them would be a spoiler!

The Tests

Having recently read The Goddess Test, I wasn’t expecting much. Having finished the book, I was just overwhelmed with the AWESOMENESS it radiated! It was… awesome! I was surprised that they all had to have these almost tests (running the gauntlet) to get to The End of the World. They were tests of strength and knowledge. Trust the sphinx’s to give an impossible riddle. Ash had three tests on his own, given to him by the Guardian so he could understand what it meant to be mortal. I don’t want to give too much away about them but I can’t believe that these tests were this hard. How is it that in YA books, the tests for mortality (the soul) is harder than the tests for immortality (The Goddess Test)? Very strange.

Ending- Tying up the loose ends

The ending was incredibly romantic and although their were no church bells, there really didn’t need to be! I’m honestly going to have to say that I’m glad that they didn’t leave the Wolf behind, despite what Grimalkin had to say. Puck will have to get over Meg at some point, and I hope that he appears in the sequel series, The Call of the Forgotten: The Lost Prince being the first book. So now I am finally, truly and utterly, Team Ash!

My Rating:

Five Stars

Adventure June 6, 2012

I’m A Geek on Greeks

I have loved Greek Mythology ever since I was taught about it in year 5 when I was about 9 years old. It was also on the curriculum when I was in year 7, at 11-12 years old. I remember having an argument with a friend of mine on the pronunciation of Persephone’s name. I said ‘Purse-eh-phone’, she said ‘Purse-eh-feh-nee’. We agreed to disagree but I am now forced to admit that she was right. Phone’s hadn’t even been invented them so I thought it was really funny.

So Greek adaptations have allegedly become the new ‘vampire’, as in they are all of a sudden very popular. This trend began last year in 2011 with YA books, though Rick Riordan writes children’s books and his series have been around much longer than this. These books include Meg Cabot’s ‘Abandon’, but here I’ll compare the greek myth adaptations that I have read up to date, YA or not.

Iris Messenger by Sarah Deming

This book was interesting and it had a very different angle to all of the others. In this book, the gods are all fading, whilst many are already gone. Iris comes across a magical… and visits a number of the gods. This includes Athena and Artemis who are now private investigators; Apollo the saxophonist (Yah! He’s playing my instrument.); Ares the lawyer (I couldn’t believe it either but I thought it was actually really smart), and so on.

Percy Jackson Series by Rick Riordan (Followed by The Heroes of Olympus Series)

UK cover

US cover

Movie cover

Percy Jackson is about to be kicked out of boarding school… again. And that’s the least of his troubles. Lately, mythological monsters and the gods of Mount Olympus seem to be walking straight out of the pages of Percy’s Greek mythology textbook and into his life. And worse, he’s angered a few of them. Zeus’ master lightning bolt has been stolen, and Percy is the prime suspect.

Now Percy and his friends have just ten days to find and return Zeus’ stolen property and bring peace to a warring Mount Olympus. But to succeed on his quest, Percy will have to do more than catch the true thief: he must come to terms with the father who abandoned him; solve the riddle of the Oracle, which warns him of betrayal by a friend; and unravel a treachery more powerful than the gods themselves.

– Goodreads summary for The Lightning Thief

This series is wonderfully written, and amongst my favourite books- ever! It is engaging enough for children as young as 9 but intelligently written enough for adults, which is something actually pretty rare. Riordan has a wit and flair that I have seen demonstrated by few authors, with Eoin Colfer being one of the others. This series does not tell the myths all over again like Deming’s Iris Messenger does, which is good because us educated readers won’t be bored stiff, but those who know nothing of Greek mythology can still learn some of the versions. Riordan instead incorporates these ancient myths into modern day America, with a strong and likeable character leading. Another awesome and very Rick Riordan thing is the name of his chapters. Tgey are just hilarious! His first ever chapter in this series is called ‘I Vaporise My Maths Teacher’ (though I believe it’s pre-algebra teacher for you Americans).

The Lightning Thief is followed by:

The Sea of Monsters

The Titan’s Curse

The Battle of the Labyrinth

The Demi-god Files (novella)

and The Last Olympian

The Goddess Test

EVERY GIRL WHO HAS TAKEN THE TEST HAS DIED.

NOW IT’S KATE’S TURN.

It’s always been just Kate and her mom–and her mother is dying. Her last wish? To move back to her childhood home. So Kate’s going to start at a new school with no friends, no other family and the fear that her mother won’t live past the fall.

Then she meets Henry. Dark. Tortured. And mesmerizing. He claims to be Hades, god of the Underworld–and if she accepts his bargain, he’ll keep her mother alive while Kate tries to pass seven tests.

Kate is sure he’s crazy–until she sees him bring a girl back from the dead. Now saving her mother seems crazily possible. If she suceeds, she’ll become Henry’s future bride and a goddess.

This is a very good book with Romance, a dash of mystery, and sort of Actual gods, unlike oh. my. gods. Sort of. Check my Archive for my full review.

Oh. My. Gods. & Goddess Boot Camp by Tera Lynn Childs

A modern girl’s comedic odyssey in a school filled with the descendants of Greek gods.

When Phoebe’s mom returns from Greece with a new husband and moves them to an island in the Aegean, Phoebe’s plans for her senior year and track season are ancient history. Now she must attend the uberexclusive academy, where admission depends on pedigree, namely, ancestry from Zeus, Hera, and other Greek gods. That’s right, they’re real, not myth, and their teen descendants are like the classical heroes: supersmart and superbeautiful with a few superpowers. And now they’re on her track team! Armed only with her Nikes and the will to win, Phoebe races to find her place among the gods.

-summary from Goodreads

This series promises something I don’t get very much from Riordan’s Percy Jackson series- Romance! It was an entertaining, light-hearted read where the fate of the world never once hung in the balance. Not even a single monster appeared. Whilst in some instances, this had me a little sad, but I enjoyed seeing the myth adaptation in a different angle. If you want the fun of Greek myth and romance, this is a book for you. I found the sequel: Goddess Boot Camp somewhat lacking in contrast to the first book but I liked the protagonist, Phoebe nonetheless. I do have to warn you though: NO GODS APPEAR- NOT ONCE!

The Fire Thief Series by Terry Deary

To escape the gods’ revenge, Prometheus travels through time to Eden City in 1858. There, he befriends a young orphan, actor, and petty criminal named Jim. When Jim runs into trouble with the law, Prometheus is torn — if he uses his powers to get his friend out of trouble, he will betray his hiding place to the gods. Terry Deary masterfully interweaves two plots, with action jumping at a whirlwind pace from Mount Olympus to the seedy taverns and elegant mansions of Victorian Eden City. Packed with puns, wisecracks, and sarcastic footnotes, The Fire Thief turns Greek mythology into a laughing matter.

– summary from Goodreads

This series is very different from the others as it follows the story of Prometheus himself. Although referred to as a demigod in this series, Prometheus was a Titan. Though related to Zeus and the others as cousins, Theus (as he is referred to) is well known for being punished by Zeus himself for stealing fire from the gods and giving it to mortals.

Other books you might like that I have not yet read:

Abandon by Meg Cabot (This is the wallpaper, not book cover, but they look more or less the same. US cover)

Pandora Gets Jealous by Carolyn Hennesy

13-year-old Pandora Atheneus Andromaeche Helena (or Pandy, for short) has no idea what she’ll bring for her school project. By accident she discovers a simple box, said to contain something so terrifying and horrible that no one must ever, ever touch it for fear of inflicting all of mankind with the wrath of the Gods and Goddesses. This, of course, makes the box the perfect thing for Pandora to bring for her school project. Unfortunately, things don’t go quite the way she was hoping, and the box accidentally gets opened, unleashing all kinds of evil and misery into the world. Hauled before Zeus, Hera and the rest of immortals, Pandy’s given the task of collecting all the evils within a year’s time.

– Goodreads summary

Hippocampus by Tom Tancin- an E-book

An Island that Shouldn’t Exist…
A Life He Didn’t Know…
A Destiny That Can’t Be Escaped

There was no turning back. We were going to set into motion a revolution that could either save Atlantis or leave it destroyed in the process.

Sixteen-year-old Trey Atlas’ known life is a lie. While he was raised in Miami, Trey was actually born in Atlantis. Sent off the legendary island as a baby for his own safety, Trey is the only living heir to the Atlantean throne. Whether he likes it or not, Trey has to go back to his birthplace and accept his role as the Ruling Prince and lead the revolution to defeat the Knights of the Abyss. Otherwise, thousands of innocent lives and his true family legacy could be lost forever.

– Synopsis from Goodreads

Action May 30, 2012

Snow White & The Huntsman

I honestly had no idea that this movie was also a book. I’m going to watch the movie for Chris Hemsworth, but I wonder whether I’ll actually every get round to reading the book. I would have preferred reading it first but the book comes out about the same time that the movie does, which is a bit strange. I’ve had problems with reading books after watching the movie, such as Eragon, however I loved reading The Time Traveller’s Wife, though saw holes in the movie after reading the book. Has anyone had similar experiences?

Release Date: 5th of June

Now pardon me whilst I stare at Hemsworth, and the other movie promotional posters.

Action May 26, 2012

COMING SOON

Artemis Fowl & The Last Guardian

To be Published 10th of July 2012

Seemingly nothing in this world daunts the young criminal mastermind Artemis Fowl. In the fairy world, however, there is a small thing that has gotten under his skin on more than one occasion: Opal Koboi. In The Last Guardian, the evil pixie is wreaking havoc yet again. This time his arch rival has reanimated dead fairy warriors who were buried in the grounds of Fowl Manor. Their spirits have possessed Artemis’s little brothers, making his siblings even more annoying than usual. The warriors don’t seem to realize that the battle they were fighting when they died is long over. Artemis has until sunrise to get the spirits to vacate his brothers and go back into the earth where they belong. Can he count on a certain LEPrecon fairy to join him in what could well be his last stand?

US Cover

UK Cover

My Verdict: Well I myself have not read the previous book as I felt that the series should have ended a long time ago. Things got way too confusing after the time travelling business but I won’t stop fans from giving it a go. The US cover is stunning but it takes away a lot of the secrecy I know Arty likes. He would never reveal himself like that! But boy does he look good. As for the UK cover? Meh. Sorely disappointed. I hope Colfer ends this series with a big bang!

Action May 24, 2012

Saying Goodbye is Never Easy

Alex Rider Series: Ended with Scorpia Rising

I loved Alex. He was like a young James Bond, only cooler and funnier. He went through a lot and this is obvious form the way the series evolved. When he was captured in the earlier books, he would always banter with the villains. Later though, it was far too serious for this and there was a much darker tone. The threats became much more sever. In the first book, he was threatened to have his face carved. In Ark Angel, he nearly faced having a finger chopped off. In Snakehead, he nearly had his organs removed. Very severe. But through it all, Alex has persevered and I very much like his character development.

Favourite villain: Yassen Gregorovich (first appearance: Stormbreaker)
Favourite vialliness: Julia Rothman (first appearance: Scorpia)
Favourite mission: Skeleton Key

Wicked Lovely Series: Ended with Darkest Mercy

I’ve blogged about the Wicked Lovely series before, but basically it is about the different faerie courts. This includes the Summer Court (mostly featured in book #1 and #3), the Dark Court (mostly featured in book #2 and book #4), the High Court (mostly featured in book #3) and the Winter Court.
What is unique about this series is that there is an ever changing multiple narrative throughout the series. This series will entice and grip you. Don’t forget to read Faery Tales & Nightmares, the companion novella!

Favourite character: Irial, King of the Dark court
Favourite couple: I’m caught between Leslie & Niall, and Aislinn & Seth.
Favourite book: Ink Exchange

Missing/ 1-800-Where-R-U-? Series: Ended with Missing You

Jess Mastriani is your typical 16 year old girl with anger management problems. Things take a turn into weird lane when she gets struck by lightning and gains powers to locate missing people through her dreams. Thinking that her new ability is a gift, she begins making anonymous calls to help the police find missing people, but then the FBI try to find her. Then she accidentally finds someone who didn’t want to be found. (Synopsis for the first book, When Lightning Strikes)
And of course there has to be some romance, so queue Rob Wilkins, bad boy extraordinaire. They met in detention! He helps her out through all the madness. But what with him being on parol, he doesn’t think that the two of them can be together. 🙁 Sad times.
This series is exhilarating and thrilling. With action, drama and romance all wrapped in one.

Favourite book: Sanctuary
Strange fact: The protagonist, Jess, and I BOTH play the flute!

How appropriate that the last book is called ‘Missing You’! I miss you too Jess!!!

The Mediator Series: Ended with Twilight/ Heaven Sent (UK title)

Suze Simon is your usual ghost buster extraordinaire! So she’s basically not a typical 16 year old. When her mother remarries and moves them to sunny California, she has a lot of adapting to do, what with her new school run by nuns! Then there’s the hot ghost who’s been dead for over a 100 years living in her bedroom. I don’t know what she had to complain about. This six book series was engaging, and thrilling. There was romance and just a hint of horror (come on! I scare easily!). Read it before you’re undead!

Creepiest character: Paul Slater
Favourite villain ghost: Jesse’s ex

The Hunger Games: Ended with Mockingjay

Oh, I’m sure there isn’t a single self respecting teenager alive (living in America and most countries in Europe, at least) who doesn’t know about the amazing Hunger Games Trilogy.

Favourite Tribute: Apart from the protagonists it would have to be Finnick. Sexy!

The Kane Chronicles: Ended with The Serpent’s Shadow

So Rick Riordan has ditched his toga for a crook and flail. In this amazing new-ish series (well, the last book was out May 1st 2012), brother and sister Carter and Sadie Kane find out that they are descendants of two great pharaohs. And that they are magicians! You’d think that would be awesome if not for the ancient gods that their father accidentally unleashed on the world. And now if they don’t stop Set, the evil god of Chaos, it’ll be the end of the world- no pressure! ( my synopsis for book #1, The Red Pyramid)
This series captured much of the same humour that made The Percy Jackson series so amazing. This one has two equally engaging narrators and it’s filled with adventures you’ll love to relive.

Favourite god: Bes (Anubis came REALLY close)

Favourite goddess: Bast

Favourite Carter quote: “Noble” I agreed. “That’s the first word that comes to mind when I think of pigeons”- The Serpent’s Shadow

Favourite Sadie quote:

Favourtie Horus quote-
Carter: “She’s almost as annoying as you”
Horus: “Impossible! No one bests Horus!”- The Red Pyramid

Favourite Ra quote: “I like Zebras… Weasels are sick”

Most detested villian: Setne

WELL, THAT’S ALL OF THEM. FAIR THEE WELL!

*sobs

Action May 16, 2012

The Kane Chronicles: The Serpent’s Shadow

Goodbye! For now!

Best Quote: MANY! But I don’t want to give too much away.

Shocking Resolution (No spoiler): The resolution to the love triangle between Walt, Sadie and Anubis.
Favourite Appearance: Neith, goddess of hunting and weaving
Favourite Magician: Apart from the Kanes (and Walt is too easy), it has to be Felix. He is soo cute! Got to love him and his penguins.
Useless information I have gained: The names and purpose of the five parts of the soul, as dictated by Egyptian Mythology.

This is the grand finale to the epic trilogy that is The Kane Chronicles. It does not disappoint as Riordan has included a lot of action, drama, and of course, CHAOS! Once again, Carter and Sadie both narrate- and interrupt each other from time to time. They do a bit of travelling, although I would have to say that the travel in the other books was a bit more extensive. The travelling in this novel is mostly through the Duat rather that actual places that we know of, such as how they travelled to Russia in the previous novel.

Relax because Anubis does indeed make an appearance, thank the gods. I very much like him but Riordan does not focus very much on his character development, possibly because this is not a YA Romance novel. I guess we must all just leave the majority of his character to our imaginations… Similarly, Zia Rashid, Carter’s crush, is also here. I really like her and you will be happy with their ending, although there is a bit of an awkward chapter here. Read it and then you will understand.

At the centre of this novel is the struggle between good and evil- Ma’at and Isfet. I’m not a fan of Apophis, but I really linked Kronos from the Percy Jackson series. I’m not sure why. He was incredibly cruel and sadistic. Maybe more so than Apophis. This is rather typical of children’s novels but I like how sometimes the right choice does not seem obvious. Although the prophecy is not as clear as that of Percy Jackson, one thing is made clear from the beginning- Apophis will swallow Ra. So technically it’s not like I was giving you a spoiler.

I rather liked the opening to this novel, although I think it kind of gave away too much. Having said that, there is no way that they would have recorded their account of how they saved the world if they had not been there to do so. Therefore, it was already clear that Apophis failed but the novel is not so much about ‘Will the world fall?’ but the journey of how they saved the world.

My only actual criticism is that Riordan did not reveal very much about quite a few of the supporting characters. Jaz was in ‘The Throne of Fire’, making her seem fairly important but she did not do very much in ‘The Serpent’s Shadow’. Similarly, I was left wondering which god will Felix follow the path of?

I had expected the problem that arose from saving the world all along, what with the need for balance. This may not make sense right now unless you have read this book, so I advise that you do so immediately. This is me being pushy (haha!). Riordan also implies that whilst this may be the end of the series, you may be seeing more of the magicians in the future. I can’t wait!

I GIVE IT A FIVE STAR RATING!!!

Action April 10, 2012

Art to Celebrate

Authors can write but not many of them can draw or paint. Here are a number of great digital drawings I found on DeviantArt on some of my favourite books:

Gale and Katniss

By mseregon from Suzanne Collins’ Hunger Games series

Prince Ash of the Unseelie court

By mseregon from Julie Kagawa’s Iron Fey series

Left to right: Seth, Asilinn, Keenan

By skellingt0n from Melissa Marr’s Wicked Lovely series

Leo Valdez and Festus, the dragon

By jujubajulia from Rick Riordan’s Heroes of Olympus series

Left to right, Percy Jackson, Nico di Angelo and Thalia Grace

By BncaRes from Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson series

Irial, king of the Dark court

By feral kin from Melissa Marr’s Wicked Lovely series

Annabeth Chase and Percy Jackson

By jujubajulia from Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson series

Schuyler Van Alen and Jack Force

By Uzumaki-Akane-sama from Melissa de la Cruz’s Blue Bloods series

Action April 9, 2012

Never to be Read?

For a person like me it normally takes about 3 days to read a novel. Sometimes a week. But for all my efforts, every now and again I come across a novel that I just cannot finish. Sometimes it’s because they’re boring; other times I’m reading two novels at a time and one just catches my attention more. Here some of the books I have started and am yet to finish:

Artemis Fowl & the Atlantis Complex by Eoin Colfer

Having read the entire series, apart from this one, I was thoroughly disappointed. I loved Arty and all of his adventures. I honestly think that Colfer should have quit whilst he was ahead after about the with book. Once he brought time travelling into the mix, it just got confusing. One Artemis Fowl is quite enough, and having him try and out-smart himself was bizarre but interesting. With The Lost Colony, Colfer introduced the demons, the over race of fairies. Did he really have to call them that? Why not ogres? But besides the name, the race seemed pretty cool and I really liked the new character, Number One.

I did my best to read The Atlantis Complex but I just didn’t things were the same without Commander Root. The events were somewhat confusing and watching Artemis deteriorate into madness was unbearable. Knowing that this book has something to do with Opal Koboi also irks me. I’ve seen enough of this pixie, and now I think that she should just die.

With that pleasant thought, I warn Artemis Fowl fans about this novel and future ones to be written. And Eoin Colfer, I still love you as a writer and I hope you redeem yourself.

Odin’s Voice by Susan Price

I came SOO close to finishing this novel. I reckon I got distracted by another one, as I often do. It’s a pity because it was actually a good book. Set in a futuristic world where the old gods are still worshipped, it follows two very different girls whose worlds are entangled. It is a world where slavery is very prominent and those that are bound by it are called bondsmen, and freewomen and freemen rule. It is the perfect entanglement of the ancient and the futuristic. Unlike Riordan, Price has chosen to go for Norse Mythology.

Eragon by Christopher Paolini

This is an uncommon case of the movie is better than the book. The book was just far too slow paced. I tried, Paolini. I honestly tried.

Harry Potter & the Philosopher’s Stone by J.K. Rowling

This wasn’t so bad but I found that I just didn’t enjoy the reading this style of writing. I don’t hate 3rd person or anything, though I do prefer 1st. I just didn’t feel very connected to Harry. I think this is often the same with Alex Rider from Anthony Horowitz’s series but in this case the action and suspense is enough to let me ignore this. HP is more mystery based but I barely even got that far. I put this book down halfway through, not willing to let myself endure anymore of it.

Sorry to those millions of fans, but I don’t see the hype.

Action February 17, 2012

From the pages to the cinema: The Hunger Games

Many of you might have already heard of Suzanne Collins’ epic Huger Games trilogy. Those who have not already read them should do so, swiftly.

The UK covers

In a not-too-distant future, North America has collapsed, weakened by drought, fire, famine, and war to be replaced by Panem, a country divided into the Capitol and 12 districts. Each year two young representatives from each district are selected by lottery to participate in The Hunger Games. Part entertainment, part brutal intimidation of the subjugated districts, the televised games are broadcast throughout Panem. The 24 participants are forced to eliminate their competitors, literally, with all citizens required to watch. When 16-year-old Katniss’ young sister, Prim, is selected as the mining district’s female representative, Katniss volunteers to take her place. She and her male counterpart Peeta, will be pitted against bigger, stronger representatives who have trained for this their whole lives.

The movie will star:

Jennifer Lawrence (from X Men: First Class) as Katniss Everdeen,

Josh Hutcherson (from The Kids are Alright) as Peeta Mellark,

Liam Hemsworth (from The Last Song) as Gabe.

For other actors, check out IMDb.

Here is the official trailer: