[REVIEW] The Set-Up – Sophie McKenzie

Sophie McKenzie
The Set-Up (The Medusa Project, Book 1)
Simon & Schuster (UK: 6th July 2009; AU: 20th August 2009)
Buy (UK) Buy (CA) Buy (Worldwide)

When Nico Rafael learns he has telekinetic abilities, he figures he can use them to score some cash and impress a girl. But nothing’s ever that simple. In the womb, his umbilical cord was injected with the Medusa gene…and it caused a cancer that killed his mother when Nico was young. The people involved with the Medusa Project may claim to be helping the four teens with the gene control their powers, but at what price?

A high-concept treat, this is pretty good escapist fiction. With intriguing ideas, it has the almighty scientific twist and social commentary to win me over. And while it’s excellent in theory…the execution isn’t quite right. Narrator Nico breaks the fourth wall, the characters’ motivations don’t seem entirely sensible, and it gets a bit weird at the end when the teens try outsmarting the adults. I fully intend to read the rest of the series, and hopefully as it progresses, the faults will become less obvious.

[REVIEW] The Awakening – Kelley Armstrong

Kelley Armstrong
The Awakening (Darkest Powers, Book 2)
HarperCollins (US: 28th April 2009); Random House Doubleday (CA: 28th April 2009); Hachette Orbit (UK: 4th May 2009; AU: July 2009)
Buy (US) Buy (UK) Buy (CA) Buy (Worldwide)

Genetically modified with supernatural abilities, four teens are on the run from those who experimented on them. They’re not concerned with future experiments – just the all-too-likely threat of termination. But escaping is just the beginning. From warehouses, to mean streets, to forests and more, their powers may not be enough to keep them unscathed.

The second book in a trilogy, The Awakening should definitely not be read first. Also, it ends in a cliff-hanger, which is bloody annoying considering that Book 3, The Reckoning, isn’t out until April or May 2010. While the Darkest Powers series as a whole is pretty darn good (I’ve only read the first two instalments), on its own The Awakening doesn’t really work. Basically the story’s about getting from A to B, which leaves the bulk of the plot points just obstacles that don’t really teach us anything new. Yes, it’s a page-turner, even if it does still feel like filler.

But here’s something curious: In Living with the Dead, the ninth book in Kelley Armstrong’s adult series, an Australian is mentioned. Seeing a review of the upcoming tenth book, Frostbitten, the Australian definitely has a major part to play. Though the term gullible mentioned in relation to that character has me wary.

The author is Canadian, though her novels are mostly set in the US. So I’m not entirely sure it’s a coincidence that at about the 3/4 mark of The Awakening, an Aussie is mentioned – a man-eating werewolf Aussie, in fact. Will the Otherworld and Darkest Powers series crossover? Will Australians be the next trend in urban fantasy antagonists? As one myself, I’m extremely curious.

P.S. I meant me being Australian, not an urban fantasy antagonist. Or am I…?

[REVIEW] Vampire Academy – Richelle Mead

Richelle Mead
Vampire Academy (Vampire Academy, Book 1)
Penguin (US: 16th August 2007; CA: 21st August 2007; AU: 31st January 2008; UK: 26th May 2009)
Buy (US) Buy (UK) Buy (CA) Buy (Worldwide)

Living vampire princess Lissa Dragomir and her dhampir guardian-in-training Rose Hathaway escaped from St. Vladimir’s Academy. But they’ve been captured and brought back to the boarding school, where their studies continue but rumours abound. More dangerous, however, are the notes and dead animals left for Moroi royal Lissa.

Vampire Academy is that rare gem – original, bold, complex and utterly memorable. It doesn’t shy away from talk of sex or mental illness, and it makes me wish St. Vladimir was real, so I could find out more. I don’t rate many books 5 stars, but this one gets ‘em. In mere words it doesn’t sound like much, but everything about the novel is so well done, and I absolutely adore it. Yes, believe the hype, and I don’t say that often. It’s completely understandable why this is a series to fangirl over, and I totally plan to glom the following three novels soon.

Thursday Thirteen: 27th August 2009

The 1st 13 Books on My To-Be Read Pile
1. Richelle Mead’s Vampire Academy (currently reading)
2. Kelley Armstrong’s The Awakening (library book)
3. Sophie McKenzie’s The Set Up (library book)
4. Claire Delacroix’s Fallen (library book)
5. Liz Jensen’s The Rapture (library book)
6. Amy Rench’s Fallen Rogue (ARC)
7. Kelly Gay’s The Better Part of Darkness (ARC)
8. Richelle Mead’s Succubus on Top
9. Richelle Mead’s Frostbite
10. Richelle Mead’s Storm Born
11. Richelle Mead’s Succubus Dreams
12. Richelle Mead’s Shadow Kiss
13. Richelle Mead’s Succubus Heat

[REVIEW] Succubus Blues – Richelle Mead

Richelle Mead
Succubus Blues (Georgina Kincaid, Book 1)
Kensington (US: 27th February 2007); Random House Bantam (UK: 1st August 2007; AU: 1st October 2007)
Buy (US) Buy (UK) Buy (CA) Buy (Worldwide)

Georgina Kincaid is tired of being a succubus. She wants to settle down, fall in love and have a family, and her crush on thriller writer Seth Mortensen is doing nothing to change her mind – quite the opposite. But that’ll have to wait until she can shut down whoever’s murdering demons and angels alike in Seattle.

I’d gone in expecting a succubus-in-love story with a chick-lit voice. Not really my thing. But once Georgina got serious and the plot developed, I was surprised, and mightily impressed. The stuff about angels is so fascinating, the drawcard of the novel, but no one alerted me beforehand about this factor. Had I known of its presence, it probably would’ve moved up my reading order.

Social commentary brings books alive for me, makes them feel more real, and I definitely like characters more when I agree with their opinions…

“This country is so in love with itself,” he complained, sipping sake. “It’s like one big mirror. It just sits all day and looks at itself. When it can be bothered to look away, it’s only to tell others ‘do this’ or ‘be just like me.’ Our military and economic policies bully people outside our borders, and inside, conservative groups bully other citizens. I hate it.”

Good thing I already have Books 2, 3 and 4 in the series waiting on my shelf

Kat Richardson’s LABYRINTH

The fifth book in Kat Richardson’s Greywalker series is tentatively titled Labyrinth, and is tentatively due for release in the UK 5th August 2010. Buy (UK)

New US Pre-Orders

The author has not mentioned this anywhere, and most likely the title and release date will change, but for now the next Anita Blake novel by Laurell K. Hamilton is entitled Flirt and is currently scheduled for 2nd February 2010. Buy (US)

And here are some already-known titles with new pre-order links:

Megan Hart: Switch Buy (US)
Stacey Jay: My So-Called Death Buy (US)
Carrie Jones: Captivate Buy (US)

[COVER ART] Betrayals – Lili St. Crow

Updated cover art for Lili St. Crow’s Betrayals – now with different colours, and spooky dudes in the background.

Worldwide Links

Most Wanted has been updated to include Worldwide Links (at the top).

[REVIEW] Starfire Angels – Melanie Nilles

Melanie Nilles
Starfire Angels
Prairie Star Publishing (US: 4th August 2009)
Buy (US)

Raea Dahlrich’s dreams are actually memories of when she had wings, aged three. Now, aged eighteen, her wings have re-emerged. She – or her crystal – is being targeted, and it’s time to remember and embrace what she is.

The world-building is interesting and unique: how often do you come across aliens mistaken for angels? And TV documenter Nina Russet is beyond awesome. The other characters? Nowhere near as much. The main characters in particular quite grate on the nerves when they start realising they like each other. Raea loses a lot of independence; she even has to be rescued! And after a traumatic event (during which she was unconscious), she clearly should be medically examined. But she refuses, claiming humans may discover her alien physiology, but that feels like a cop-out – she just didn’t want to face the possibility. But I fear the unknown, and Raea must not. Knowledge equals power, kids.

There are some decent ideas here – the aforementioned world-building, and the super-awesome Nina – but the execution is not strong enough, the characters not likeable enough, to make this novel a true winner.