Tag Archives: Easy Reading

Andersen’s Witch by Jane Yolen

Book Review, , , ,

Overview

Under My HatTitle: Andersen’s Witch
Author: Jane Yolen
In: Under my Hat (Jonathan Strahan)
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Easy reading, Fantasy, Witches
Pace: Slow
Format: Short story
Publisher: Hot Key Books
Year: 2012
5th sentence, 74th page: It gives the boy ideas above his station.

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Synopsis

Yolen explores the tale of the Snow Queen and Hans Christian Andersen in this brilliant spin on witches, fairytales and love.

Thoughts

I love Hans Christian Andersen – at least, I love the stories that I can remember. And this is a great take on his life and death, with a bit of a twist to The Ice Queen.

I love stories that take facts, people, history and turn it on its head. Especially when the story actually feels remarkably plausible. Andersen’s Witch gave a plausible and enjoyable look into Andersen’s early life and rise to fame.

Yet, this story is truly about a child’s love and the innocence and purity that they bring to a person’s life. Ultimately, it is this that helps Andersen to beat the Ice Queen and inspires the well-known story that we all know and love.

 <- The Stone Witch Review B is for Bigfoot Review ->
Image source: Frances Hardinge

Great-Grandmother in the Cellar by Peter S. Beagle

Book Review, , , , ,

Overview

Under My HatTitle: Great-Grandmother in the Cellar
Author: Peter S. Beagle
Series: The Innkeeper’s World #1.5
In: Under My Hat (Jonathan Strahan)
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Easy reading, Fantasy, Witches
Pace: Medium
Format: Short story
Publisher: Hot Key Books
Year: 2012
5th sentence, 74th page: And that was all we ever got out of him about Great-Grandmother.

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Synopsis

Da’mas watched as the evil sorcerer with whom his sister fell in love placed the girl in a sleep that mimicked death. He tells Da’mas that she will not awaken unless she sees his face, something that will not happen unless Da’mas and his father agree to allow the wicked mage to marry her. Da’mas’s father is out of town, and he’s not sure how he can help his sister. He decides to go down to the cellar to awaken the great-grandmother he knows still lives there. As it turns out she is nothing but bones and must take over another’s body in order to help. Da’mas volunteers his body, and together, they set out to stop the sorcerer and save his sister from his clutches.

Thoughts

The title of this short story made me want to read it as soon as I saw the table of contents in the beginning of Under My Hat. After all, any story that has a great-grandmother buried in a cellar is bound to be good. Or at least, that’s the way my brain tends to work…

All families have skeletons in the closet – after all, there is no family that doesn’t have its black sheep. But in the case of this family… not so much a black sheep and not so much a closet, but more so a skeleton in the cellar. Plus, it’s a much more terrifying skeleton than any that my family have. Yet, this kind of works out all for the best. After all, it is this terrifying grandmother that ends up saving the day and protecting her family.

Although you know that somehow the boy will save his sister, the journey is still amazing. The way in which it is done is kind of unexpected, and it helped to make the adventure so much more interesting. Now I can’t wait to see how this short story works into The Innkeeper’s World.

 <- B is for Bigfoot Review Crow and Caper, Caper and Crow Review ->
Image source: Frances Hardinge

Under My Hat edited by Jonathan Strahan

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Overview
Under My Hat

Title: Under My Hat: Tales from the Cauldron
Author: Jonathan Strahan, Diana Peterfreund, Frances Hardinge, Garth Nix, Holly Black, Charles de Lint, Tanith Lee, Neil Gaiman, Ellen Klages, Ellen Kushner, Delia Sherman, Patricia A. McKillip, Tim Pratt, M. Rickert, Isobelle Carmody, Jane Yolen, Peter S. Beagle, Margo Lanagan
In: Under My Hat (Jonathan Strahan)
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Easy reading, Short story collections, Witches
Pace: Medium
Format: Collection
Publisher: Hot Key Books
Year: 2012
5th sentence, 74th page: “Was he?” asked Mari.

Synopsis

Broomsticks.
Black Cats.
Pointy Hats.

They can mean only one thing – somewhere nearby, there must be a witch. From fairy tales to fims to fiction, witches cast their spells and capture our imaginations.

Now the biggest names in fantasy and young adult literature have come together to make a little magic of their own. Neil Gaiman, Holly Black, Diana Peterfreund, Margo Lanagan, Peter S. Beagle, and Garth Nix are just a few of the authors who have toiled over their cauldrons and conjured up bewitching new creations inspired by and celebrating the might and mystery of the witch. Assembled by one of the most well-regarded anthologists in the science fiction/fantasy world, this rich, intelligent collection will enchant readers of all ages.

Thoughts

Short story collections are always good fun. They’re a great way to discover new authors, and the common thread through them can be so unique and different. Sometimes I even struggle to find the common thread! Not with this amazing collection though. It’s simple. Witches.

Strahan did a great job of putting together this fun and cute little collection of witch-y tales and I’m actually kind of disappointed that it’s over. Although I bought it to read B is for Bigfoot by Jim Butcher, the rest of the stories really jumped out at me. It’s actually difficult to pick an absolute favourite – they all had this twisted, fun, unexpected adventure that they took me on. Closing the cover of the book, I feel like I’ve gone on journeys through distant lands (and realms) and come back to land squarely on earth. Which is actually kind of disappointing… time to find my next epic journey of witchcraft and wings…

<- Crow and Caper, Caper and CrowStray Magic ->

Image source: Frances Hardinge

Witch Work by Neil Gaiman

Book Review, , , , ,
Overview
Under My Hat

Title: Witch Work
Author: Neil Gaiman
In: Under My Hat (Jonathan Strahan) & Trigger Warning (Neil Gaiman)
Rating Out of 5: 3 (On the fence about this one)
My Bookshelves:  Easy reading, Fantasy, Witches
Pace: Slow
Format: Poem
Publisher: Hot Key Books
Year: 2012
5th sentence, 74th page: She sold calm seas to the mariners’ wives; Tied winds with silk cords so the storms could be tied there.

Synopsis

This short poem is about an elderly witch who lives in a room filled with clocks. She would sell storms, sorrows, and calmed the sea. The narrator explains that he bought three sorrows. The first he gave to his enemy’s child, the second was made into a broth by his wife, and the third remains unused. Regardless of this, the witch’s life is in a box which makes her quite sorrowful. We are not told what makes the witch sad, but she always returns to her house full of clocks.

Thoughts

This was an unexpectedly layered poem in the middle of the Under My Hat anthology. And one that I enjoyed immensely. I actually read this three times, each time with a new meaning and nuance. And, like all good poetry, I think that the more chances I get to read this, the more hidden meanings I will find about what a witch’s work entails.

<- FelidisThe Education of a Witch ->

Image source: Frances Hardinge

Sweep in Peace by Ilona Andrews

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
Sweep in Peace

Title: Sweep in Peace
Author: Ilona Andrews
Series: The Innkeeper Chronicles #2
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Easy reading, Paranormal fantasy, Paranormal romance
Pace: Fast
Format: Novel
Publisher: Ilona Andrews
Year: 2015
5th sentence, 74th page: Gaston leaped into the air.

Synopsis

Dina DeMille doesn’t run your typical Bed and Breakfast. Her inn defies laws of physics, her fluffy dog is secretly a monster, and the only paying guest is a former Galactic tyrant with a price on her head. But the inn needs guests to thrive, and guests have been scarce, so when an Arbitrator shows up at Dina’s door and asks her to host a peace summit between three warring species, she jumps on the chance.

Unfortunately, for Dina, keeping the peace between Space Vampires, the Hope-Crushing Horde, and the devious Merchants of Baha-char is much easier said than done. On top of keeping her guests from murdering each other, she must find a chef, remodel the inn…and risk everything, even her life, to save the man she might fall in love with. But then it’s all in the day’s work for an Innkeeper…

Thoughts

Dina again seems to find herself in hot water in Sweep in Peace. From protecting her neighbours (in Clean Sweep) to brokering peace between three warring factions, she seems to have a habit of biting off a little more than she can chew. Which is probably why this was such a good story. After all, if Dina didn’t continuously find herself in hot water, then there wouldn’t be a story worth reading…

In Clean Sweep, there was the tantalising beginning of a new love story – Sean the werewolf and Arland the vampire both showed a lot of interest in Dina. But, they still both let and the beginning of Sweep in Peace finds Dina alone and waiting for that hint of romance that she caught sight of. Which makes it a little convenient when George (the arbiter) appears and offers her a deal. Help him host a peace talk, and the inn would get guests and Dina would receive money. Making this deal brings Arland to her door, but it almost costs Dina her life and the inn’s reputation. Unable to dwell on her romantic interests and confusions, Dina is nonetheless able to find romance and a little fire throughout her battle to stop her guests from killing each other.

I love the idea that Earth is a neutral zone in the universe – the place where aliens stop of along their journeys, are able to negotiate treaties and, in the case of Dina’s permanent guest, avoid death and persecution. Although Dina isn’t quite neutral (she is still a pursuer of justice, regardless of her supposed neutrality), she still attempts to keep everyone safe and cared for. Although she can see the toll that has been taken on each of the three warring factions, Dina doesn’t take sides and her past relationships don’t unduly influence her either. She might not be neutral, but she certainly isn’t biased, and this complete fairness is something I don’t often find in my favourite characters. A very refreshing change to the usual female leads in my shelves.

 <- Clean SweepOne Fell Sweep ->

Image source: All Things Urban Fantasy

Clean Sweep by Ilona Andrews

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
Clean Sweep

Title: Clean Sweep
Author: Ilona Andrews
Series: The Innkeeper Chronicles #1
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Easy reading, Paranormal fantasy, Paranormal romance
Pace: Fast
Format: Novel
Publisher: Ilona Andrews
Year: 2012
5th sentence, 74th page: Some of the Sun Horde got out, but not many.

Synopsis

On the outside, Dina Demille is the epitome of normal. She runs a quaint Victorian Bed and Breakfast in a small Texas town, owns a Shih Tzu named Beast, and is a perfect neighbor, whose biggest problem should be what to serve her guests for breakfast. But Dina is…different: Her broom is a deadly weapon; her Inn is magic and thinks for itself. Meant to be a lodging for otherworldly visitors, the only permanent guest is a retired Galactic aristocrat who can’t leave the grounds because she’s responsible for the deaths of millions and someone might shoot her on sight. Under the circumstances, “normal” is a bit of a stretch for Dina.

And now, something with wicked claws and deepwater teeth has begun to hunt at night….Feeling responsible for her neighbors, Dina decides to get involved. Before long, she has to juggle dealing with the annoyingly attractive, ex-military, new neighbor, Sean Evans—an alpha-strain werewolf—and the equally arresting cosmic vampire soldier, Arland, while trying to keep her inn and its guests safe. But the enemy she’s facing is unlike anything she’s ever encountered before. It’s smart, vicious, and lethal, and putting herself between this creature and her neighbors might just cost her everything.

Thoughts

This was an incredibly unique book to read. Primarily because it’s a novel that was originally an online series. Instead of the draft being written and edited, parts of the story were released on a regular basis and there was no editing. Andrews talks about what a different challenge this was at the beginning of the novel, but it also made for a very different experience. Instead of having logical pauses at the end of each chapter, every page or two had a point at which you could stop reading. Which would be good if it wasn’t so amazing that I couldn’t put it down anyway. Having said that, it didn’t feel as stilted and stop-start as I was expecting, the narrative still flowed beautifully and Andrews was able to create another fascinating world that you couldn’t help but fall in love with.

Not only is the writing style of Clean Sweep different to the other Andrews books that I’ve read, but the heroine is too. Where the other lead females tend to be a little kick ass and able to completely own the men around them (physically or magically), Dina’s emphasis is on the inn and homeliness. She is powerful in her own right, but she is more concerned with running her inn and caring for her he guests (or guest as is mostly the case). I also loved the idea of an inn that is sentient and able to move around according to the needs of the innkeeper and her visitors. Something that comes in handy a few times throughout the story.

I also loved Andrews’ play on the vampire-werewolf love triangle. It’s such a typical thing in paranormal fantasy these days, but the fact that Andrews turned them into alien species and created a sci-fi aspect to the story made the love triangle all the more interesting. It will be interesting to see how this unfolds further in Sweep in Peace.

 <- One Fell SweepSweep in Peace ->

Image source: Innkeeper Chronicles

The Shifting Sands by Emily Rodda

Book Review, , , , ,

Overview

The Shifting SandsTitle: The Shifting Sands
Author: Emily Rodda
Series: Deltora Quest #4, World of Deltora #4
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Australian authors, Easy reading, Medieval fantasy
Pace: Fast
Format: Novel
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Year: 2000
5th sentence, 74th page: The passage from the cellar was long, low and dark and smelled sickeningly of cider.

Buy The Book Now at The Book Depository, Free Delivery World WideSynopsis

When the seven gems of the magic Belt of Deltora were stolen, the evil Shadow Lord invaded the kingdom and enslaved its people. Determined to rid their land of the tyrant, Lief, Barda, and Jasmine are on a dangerous quest to find the lost gems, which are hidden in fearsome places throughout the kingdom.The time has come to seek the fourth gem, kept jealously by an unknown guardian in a barren wasteland. Separation, confusion, and strange, terrible enemies await the three heroes in the harsh landscape of the Shifting Sands.

Thoughts

Step four in the Deltora Quest series is a little less thrilling than the first three (for me), but it is still a great journey. Lief, Barda and Jasmine again run into the mysterious rebellion leader, Doom, they are forced to battle in a gladiator-style contest, and, as always, they finally triumph over a completely unknown foe. Yet, it just doesn’t quite have the fast pace of the first three books, and not as many riddles throughout the story. And, after all, the reason I’ve always loved this series is the little riddles that are peppered throughout.

Having said all that, I did really like the foe that Lief comes up against in The Shifting Sands, it was completely unexpected. It doesn’t matter what Rodda writes, there is always an unforeseen surprise at the end of the story, and a message of inner strength in the character’s makeup. Or at least, that’s how I feel about the ending of The Shifting Sands.

Yet, my favourite thing about The Shifting Sands isn’t Lief’s triumph, or Doom’s mysterious appearance, it is how Jasmine goes in the competition. Her temper and her morals are seriously tested, and it’s not entirely clear as to whether she passed the tests or not.

 <- City of Rats Review Dread Mountain Review ->
Image Source: Goodreads

The Witch in the Wood by Delia Sherman

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
Under My Hat

Title: The Witch in the Wood
Author: Delia Sherman
In: Under My Hat (Jack Dann & Jonathan Strahan)
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Easy reading, Fantasy, Witches
Pace: Fast
Format: Short story
Publisher: Hot Key Books
Year: 2012
5th sentence, 74th page: I crashed through the undergrowth that separated us and dug my knife into the moss, cutting out a handful to pack into the hole my arrow had made.

Synopsis

Mildryth is a young witch who, until three years ago, lived in the woods with her mother. Ever since her mother’s death, she’s been alone, never coming into contact with another human being. She possesses great magical powers which her mother taught her how to use but only when necessary. While out hunting one day, she wounds a deer with her arrow, but before she can kill it, the deer turns into a man. She eventually discovers he is named Erdwyn, and that he is running from his destiny in the north country, a place Mildryth’s mother had warned her away from. As she nurses Erdwyn back to health, the pair fall in love, but when his wounds fester, she must risk everything to travel to the north country to find the only cure. While there, Mildryth learns amazing things about herself, but upon her return, she is pursued by the powerful wizard who rules that land and who will not allow her to live happily and peacefully with her true love.

Thoughts

I really like The Witch in the Wood. It was quite a cute and unorthodox little love story. I mean it starts with the first person voice recounting the day that she met the love of her life. Which is about the only predictable aspect of this short story.

Firstly, the history of the witch is completely vague and difficult to understand. She’s completely on her own and sure of her own powers. But it isn’t until the stag enters her life that she really has to test her knowledge and experience. After all, he might bring love into her life, but he also brings danger and threats.

Ultimately, the witch in the woods is a reminder that it is important to care for others and your family. That sticking up for yourself is a power all in its own right.

<- The Threefold WorldWhich Witch ->

Image source: Frances Hardinge

Skulduggery Pleasant by Derek Landy

Book Review, , , , ,

Overview

Skulduggery PleasantTitle: Skulduggery Pleasant
Author: Derek Landy
Series: Skulduggery Pleasant #1
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Crime, Dark fantasy, Easy reading, Paranormal fantasy
Pace: Fast
Format: Novel
Publisher: Harper Collins
Year: 2007
5th sentence, 74th page: I don’t know.

Buy The Book Now at The Book Depository, Free Delivery World Wide

Synopsis

Meet Skulduggery Pleasant. Sure, he may lose his head now and again (in fact, he won his current skull in a poker match), but he is much more than he appears to be—which is good, considering that he is, basically, a skeleton. Skulduggery may be long dead, but he is also a mage who dodged the grave so that he could save the world from an ancient evil. But to defeat it, he’ll need the help of a new partner: a not so innocent twelve-year-old girl named Stephanie. That’s right, they’re the heroes.

Stephanie and Skulduggery are quickly caught up in a battle to stop evil forces from acquiring her recently deceased uncle’s most prized possession—the Sceptre of the Ancients. The Ancients were the good guys, an extinct race of uber-magicians from the early days of the earth, and the scepter is their most dangerous weapon, one capable of killing anyone and destroying anything. Back in the day, they used it to banish the bad guys, the evil Faceless Ones. Unfortunately, in the way of bad guys everywhere, the Faceless Ones are staging a comeback and no one besides our two heroes believes in the Faceless Ones, or even that the Sceptre is real.

So Stephanie and Skulduggery set off to find the Sceptre, fend off the minions of the bad guys, beat down vampires and the undead, prove the existence of the Ancients and the Faceless Ones, all while trading snappy, snippy banter worthy of the best screwball comedies.

Thoughts

I haven’t read this book for years. Actually, it’s been in a box in a cupboard for a few years (the joys of moving around). So, the first thing that I did when I unpacked my many, many, many books, was crack open this story again. There is something fun and entertaining about this story that always leaves a smile on my face. Plus, there is an attitudinal, sassy thirteen-year-old girl who completely takes centre stage.

Following the death of Stephanie’s favourite uncle, and her subsequent inheritance, she is thrust into a world of magic and mayhem. Which, as any anarchic teen would, she completely adores and eventually decides to join. The fact that everything always seems to go wrong and her mentor is actually a living (but not quite breathing) skeleton just adds to the joy and absurdity of this story. Which is probably why, as a thirteen-year-old girl myself, I insanely enjoyed this series. A completely off-kilter mentor, a world just beneath our own where you can be something more, and a teenager who is making all of her own decisions.

Sometimes revisiting an old and well loved series just leads to heartache and a sense of loss – there’s nothing like finding out that it isn’t quite what you remember it to be. However, for me, rereading Skulduggery Pleasant was a really fun and memorable journey… now I just have to buy the next books in the series (I only had the one!)

 <- The Horror Writers’ Halloween Ball Review The Lost Art of World Domination Review ->
Image source: Amazon

Which Witch by Patricia A. McKillip

Book Review, , , ,

Overview

Under My HatTitle: Which Witch
Author: Patricia A. McKillip
In: Under My Hat (Jack Dann & Jonathan Strahan)
Rating Out of 5: 04.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Easy reading, Fantasy, Witches
Pace: Fast
Format: Short story
Publisher: Hot Key Books
Year: 2012
5th sentence, 74th page: That thing at the bar had one hand on Quin’s shoulder and he wasn’t smiling anymore.

Buy The Book Now at The Book Depository, Free Delivery World Wide

Synopsis

Hazel is a witch who is part of a popular band made up of herself and her friends who are witches. She has a familiar, a crow named Cawley. The pair only recently found one another, and are still having trouble speaking each other’s language. Cawley knows an evil creature is following Hazel, putting her and her bandmates in danger, but he can’t seem to make her understand. As Hazel and her friends go on stage to play, the creature comes after them, which leads Hazel to learn something new about herself and one of her friends.

Thoughts

This was a really quick, fun and cute short story. Which means that this is going to be a quick and (hopefully) fun review.

The idea of witches and their familiars is nothing new. But, witches in a rock band, with their slightly unorthodox familiars hanging off of them definitely is. The ability to use music as a power was also a great angle that I didn’t expect. It’s a nice echo of the power that music has over people – literally. A song can change a life, sweep you away in its wings. But McKillip takes it another step.

Although I love the symbolism of music in this story, it’s the bonding between witch Hazel and her familiar Cawley that I found the most engaging. Not only is it sweet, but it’s a reminder that all good relationships take time.

 <- The Witch in the Wood Review The Carved Forest Review ->
Image source: Frances Hardinge