Fantasy » Birdbrain(ed) Book Blog

REVIEW: Ordinary Magic by Caitlen Rubino-Bradway

Posted by Anastasia on May 17, 2012 2 Responses »

May 172012

043. Ordinary Magic by Caitlen Rubino-Bradway
Publication: , ebook, 256pp / ISBN
Genre: MG Fantasy

Read: March 2-3, 2012
Source: NetGalley (thank you!)

Summary from Amazon:

In Abby’s world, magic isn’t anything special: it’s a part of everyday life. So when Abby learns that she has zero magical abilities, she’s branded an “Ord”—ordinary, bad luck, and quite possibly a danger to society. The outlook for kids like Abby isn’t bright. Many are cast out by their families, while others are sold to treasure hunters (ordinary kids are impervious to spells and enchantments). Luckily for Abby, her family enrolls her in a school that teaches ordinary kids how to get around in a magical world. But with treasure-hunting kidnappers and carnivorous goblins lurking around every corner, Abby’s biggest problem may not be learning how to be ordinary—it’s whether or not she’s going to survive the school year!

Review

This is one of those books that, immediately after finishing it, makes me think it’s the best book ever. While it’s pretty darned good, and while I enjoyed reading it (and liked it enough to rate it 3.5 birds), I can’t actually remember all that much about it. Usually, with books I adore, I have a few things I particularly like and those things stick in my mind until the next time I read it. Right now, several months after reading Ordinary Magic, all I can remember is that the family relationship(s) are adorable. Continue reading »

REVIEW: Lirael by Garth Nix

Posted by Anastasia on May 12, 2012 1 Response »

May 122012

Look! I wrote a full review! And hopefully more will come. I figured I couldn’t depend on review notes since I don’t know WHEN I’ll be getting internet, so I might as well just carry on as best I can until then. They won’t have as fancy a format as I usually do, since I don’t have enough time to search for other reviews and whatnot, but I hope you like them anyway.

Sorry I haven’t been responding to comments, btw! Again, no time. If you ask a question, though, I’ll try to get back to you…soon-ish.

70. Lirael by Garth Nix
Publication: HarperTeen (October 6, 2009), ebook, 720pp / ISBN 0060005424
Genre: YA Fantasy

Read: April ?-26, 2012
Source: Bought

Series: Sabriel | Lirael (you’re here!) | Abhorsen

Summary from Amazon:

Lirael has never felt like a true daughter of the Clayr. Abandoned by her mother, ignorant of her father’s identity, Lirael resembles no one else in her large extended family living in the Clayr’s Glacier. She doesn’t even have the Sight — the ability to see into the present and possible futures — that is the very birthright of the Clayr.

Nonetheless, it is Lirael in whose hands the fate of the Old Kingdom lies. She must undertake a desperate mission under the growing shadow of an ancient evil — one that opposes the Royal Family, blocks the Sight of the Clay; and threatens to break the very boundary between Life and Death itself. With only her faithful companion, the Disreputable Dog, to help her, Lirael must find the courage to seek her own hidden destiny.

In this sequel to the critically acclaimed Sabriel, Garth Nix draws readers deeper into the magical landscape of the Old Kingdom and weaves a spellbinding tale of discovery, destiny, and danger.

Review

It took me two tries to get through Lirael, and I blame that on its slower pace. It doesn’t really speed up until a little after halfway through, and while I enjoyed the bits before then, the lack of momentum is a real killer. Luckily this time around I liked Lirael (the character) a lot more than the first time, and so I could push through the slow bits. Continue reading »

REVIEW: A Greyhound of a Girl by Roddy Doyle

Posted by Anastasia on May 1, 2012 3 Responses »

May 012012

005. A Greyhound of a Girl by Roddy Doyle
Publication: Amulet Books (May 1, 2012), originally published 2011, eARC, 208pp / ISBN 1419701681
Genre: Children’s Magical Realism (could be MG, too)

Read: January 10, 1012
Source: Publisher via NetGalley (thank you!)

Summary from Amazon:

Mary O’Hara is a sharp and cheeky 12-year-old Dublin schoolgirl who is bravely facing the fact that her beloved Granny is dying. But Granny can’t let go of life, and when a mysterious young woman turns up in Mary’s street with a message for her Granny, Mary gets pulled into an unlikely adventure. The woman is the ghost of Granny’s own mother, who has come to help her daughter say good-bye to her loved ones and guide her safely out of this world. She needs the help of Mary and her mother, Scarlett, who embark on a road trip to the past. Four generations of women travel on a midnight car journey. One of them is dead, one of them is dying, one of them is driving, and one of them is just starting out.

Review

I’ve read a few other Roddy Doyle books before, all meant for adults and all of the literary fiction type. A Greyhound of a Girl is almost completely different: it’s meant for children, and it’s more magical realism than anything else. Like all of Roddy Doyle’s books, however, Greyhound is about family, and about navigating the rough waters that come with family. And that’s great! What’s not so great is basically everything else. Continue reading »

REVIEW: Vodnik by Bryce Moore

Posted by Anastasia on April 27, 2012 No Responses »

Apr 272012

060. Vodnik by Bryce Moore
Publication: Tu Books (March 1, 2012), eARC, 368pp / ISBN 1600608523
Genre: YA Urban Fantasy, Action

Read: March 30-31, 2012
Source: NetGalley (thank you!)

Summary from Amazon:

When Tomas was six, someone–something–tried to drown him. And burn him to a crisp. Tomas survived, but whatever was trying to kill him freaked out his parents enough to convince them to move from Slovakia to the United States.

Now sixteen-year-old Tomas and his family are back in Slovakia, and that something still lurks somewhere. Nearby. Ready to drown him again and imprison his soul in a teacup.

Then there’s the fire víla, the water ghost, the pitchfork-happy city folk, and Death herself who are all after him.

All this sounds a bit comical, unless the one haunted by water ghosts and fire vílas or doing time in a cramped, internet-deprived teacup is you.

If Tomas wants to survive, he’ll have to embrace the meaning behind the Slovak proverb, So smrťou ešte nik zmluvu neurobil. With Death, nobody makes a pact.

Review

For some reason I had a really hard time writing this review– not because I didn’t like Vodnik, but because there’s so much stuff to talk about that I couldn’t figure out where to start! Vodnik has got almost everything I want in a YA book: it’s set in a non-US/non-England location, it stars a not-completely-white kid, it’s got exciting action stuff and fun fantasy elements and it ALSO deals with discrimination and bullying and death! And it’s not even that badly written; if I was a teenage person I’d probably love this book a lot. As an adult person, I LIKE it but I’m not overwhelmed with my love for it. Continue reading »

REVIEW: Shadows on the Moon by Zoe Marriott

Posted by Anastasia on April 24, 2012 No Responses »

Apr 242012

046. Shadows on the Moon by Zoe Marriott
Publication: Candlewick (April 24, 2012), eARC, 465pp / ISBN 0763653446
Genre: YA Historical Fantasy, Romance (bit of GLBTQ)

Read: March 7-8, 2012
Source: NetGalley (thank you!)

Summary from Amazon:

A powerful tale of magic, love, and revenge set in fairy-tale Japan. Trained in the magical art of shadow-weaving, sixteen-year-old Suzume is able to re-create herself in any form – a fabulous gift for a girl desperate to escape her past. But who is she really? Is she a girl of noble birth living under the tyranny of her mother’s new husband, Lord Terayama? Or a lowly drudge scraping a living in the ashes of Terayama’s kitchens? Or is she Yue, the most beautiful courtesan in the Moonlit Lands? Whatever her true identity, Suzume is destined to use her skills to steal the heart of a prince in a revenge plot to destroy Terayama. And nothing will stop her, not even the one true aspect of her life- her love for a fellow shadow-weaver.

Review

This is an AWESOME book. What makes it awesome? I’ll tell you what makes it awesome:
1. the characters! Specifically, Suzume and her development over the course of the book. She goes from spoiled normal kid to PTSD-ed refugee with magical powers to someone with a lot of spoilers hanging around. It’s great! Continue reading »

REVIEW: Law of the Broken Earth by Rachel Neumeier

Posted by Anastasia on April 13, 2012 No Responses »

Apr 132012

059. Law of the Broken Earth by Rachel Neumeier
Publication: Orbit (December 1, 2010), ebook, 468pp / ISBN 0316079936
Genre: Fantasy

Read: March 29-30, 2012
Source: Freebie

Series: Lord of the Changing Winds | Land of the Burning Sands | Law of the Broken Earth (you’re here!)

Summary from Amazon:

In Feierabiand, in the wide green Delta, far from the burning heat of the griffin’s desert, Mienthe’s peaceful life has been shaken. Tan – clever, cynical, and an experienced spy – has brought a deadly secret out of the neighboring country of Linularinum.

Now, as three countries and two species rush toward destruction, Mienthe fears that even her powerful cousin Bertaud may be neither able nor even willing to find a safe path between the secret Linularinum would kill to preserve and the desperate ferocity of the griffins. But can Mienthe?

And, in the end, will Tan help her . . . or do everything in his power to stand in her way?

Review

Like the second book, this one has GREAT characters. Mienthe, my favorite, actually reminds me a lot of Kes. She’s shy, and quiet, and prone to being overlooked. But she doesn’t stay that way, and the change comes from within rather than via an outside force. Continue reading »

The Sunday Salon (Apr. 8): Rereading for fun and profit

Posted by Anastasia on April 8, 2012 11 Responses »

Apr 082012

I’ve been rereading a good amount of books this year– way more than I did last year, anyway. And I’ve remembered something: rereading is fun! And I don’t just mean rereading something I’d read just the year before: going back to books I first read two+ years ago is almost a magical experience. It’s fun to revisit places and people and stories that I loved once upon a time. I tend to have a very good memory for books and their plots, but I don’t remember everything. Rediscovering why I loved a book in the first place is almost better than reading them for the first time! Plus, there’s always the chance that I’ll catch some new nuance or something that I missed before. Continue reading »