My reading life lately has been preoccupied with Cybils books, which I can't discuss yet, but I have managed to squeeze in some other books in between. As always, I'll probably have a few longer reviews of these titles up at a later date.
Eon: Dragoneye Reborn by Alison Goodman
I'm a little late to the party on this one, and I'm so glad I finally picked it up. It's a great example of why I love fantasy: the worldbuilding is exquisite and I never get tired of learning more about Eon's culture - even when it's told rather than shown. Moreover, while some fantasy tropes are certainly present, I can fairly say that this is one of the more unique stories I've read in a while (there is no riding of dragons, for instance). I'm listening to this one, and the narrator is perfect.
Fables Volume 16: Superteam by Bill Willingham
I always look forward to a new Fables volume. This one let me down a little bit - the showdown with Mr. Dark is anticlimactic and the creation of a Fables "Superteam" is gimmicky. Granted, the gimmick is deliberate and meant to be a bit of a satire, but it didn't work so well for me. Of course, Willingham teases us with a new plot twist at the end that makes me eager for the next volume. Plus, the first story in this volume is unabashedly Oz-inspired (and illustrated by Eric Shanower), so you know I was all over that.
The Raft by S. A. Bodeen
I really enjoyed this solid story about a girl who survives a plane crash only to be cast adrift at sea. There's not much more to it than that, and I don't mean that in a bad way. While the end isn't ever really in doubt, Bodeen is great at keeping the tension and suspense high, particularly when there isn't much opportunity for character interaction. Plus, I learned all sorts of things I can do to survive at sea. Always handy.
The Obsidian Blade by Pete Hautman
Strange but intriguing, Hautman brings us a science fiction tale that involves time travel, strange new cultures, and aliens (maybe?). It's so odd, and part of the reason for its oddness is that Hautman just lets the story unravel on its own. There's almost no explanation of the backstory, no wizened old man who sits down and tells our teenage protagonist what's going on. (This is a good thing.) I'm really digging it so far.
After the Snow by S. D. Crockett
Willo is living in another ice age. Society has broken down and food and shelter, much less education, are hard to come by. Willo narrates his own story in dialect. Books written in dialect are always tough for me at the beginning. I'm about halfway into this one and I still haven't fallen into it well enough for the reading to be natural. It's not a good sign, but the plot is intriguing enough that I want to see how it turns out.
I'm eager for the Bodeen title, and I'm glad you liked it. It doesn't seem like there are a lot of those sort of traditional survival stories in ya.
ReplyDeleteAfter the Snow's sitting on my pile, too. Interesting it's in a dialect -- curious how it compares to, say, Blood Red Road, which uses a dialect as well.
As far as Hautman...how does he write so many books? I'm amazed.
i really need to catch up on my fables. sorry this one disappointed you though.
ReplyDelete