Witchlanders by Lena Coakley

High in their mountain covens, red witches pray to the Goddess, protecting the Witchlands by throwing the bones and foretelling the future.

It’s all a fake.

At least, that’s what Ryder thinks. He doubts the witches really deserve their tithes—one quarter of all the crops his village can produce. And even if they can predict the future, what danger is there to foretell, now that his people’s old enemy, the Baen, has been defeated?

But when a terrifying new magic threatens both his village and the coven, Ryder must confront the beautiful and silent witch who holds all the secrets. Everything he’s ever believed about witches, the Baen, magic and about himself will change, when he discovers that the prophecies he’s always scorned—

Are about him.

Released: August 30, 2011      Pages: 400
Publisher: Atheneum Books        Source: Library

First Look: ***** The cover looks nice, on a screen.  But it is simply gorgeous in real life.  You have to hold it to appreciate it.  I do have a problem with the cover, though, and the pitch.  If there's only one part of this review you read, make it the "Not-so-great" part.  Please.  I'll explain why this book isn't what you think it is.  And there will be unicorns.*

Setting: ***** The setting was very interesting.  Though a map might have been nice, I liked the contrast between the two countries and their relationships.  That part of it was well-developed.  The narration had just the right amount of detail to show me the setting.

Characters: ***** I really liked Ryder.  I could connect to him.  I loved how much he cared about his family, and how it conflicted with his own interests sometimes.  His doubt, fear, and confusion was all so realistic.  There was nothing flat or stereotypical about him.

I liked Falpian, too.  Possibly more than Ryder.  His reactions to everything were realistic.  He was every bit as well-developed as Ryder, which I loved.  I loved his connection to Ryder, too.  It was unique and cool, with an interesting light-dark contrast to it. 

Plot: ***** It had its fair share of action, which I enjoyed.  But what really made this plot awesome was everything underneath the surface.  There were the main conflicts, the survival issues, the villains, etc.  And then, there were more subtle things, things that didn't jump out at you but were definitely there.  For example, Falpian's heir-ness (that's a word now), or his connection with Ryder, or Ryder's wanting to get away. There was conflict everywhere, which is always a good thing.   

Uniqueness: ***** It was your typical high fantasy, but at the same time...it wasn't. If that makes any sense, which it doesn't.

Writing: ***** Just like the plot, I loved the subtleties of the writing. It did a good job of telling the story, but it also packed a huge amount of emotion.  It made you feel Ryder's and Falpian's pain and fear in such a personal way. That probably had much to do with the character development, though. The writing isn't a standout style that I'll remember for years to come, but it was definitely well done.

Likes: Bodread.

Not-so-great: Both the cover and pitch are misleading.  First, the cover has a girl on it.  Why does every cover have to have a girl on it?  The girl comes into play, but she's not a huge part of the story.  She's not important enough to have a spot on the cover.  And I'm pretty sure the girl had Baen blood anyway, so she wouldn't be blonde (unless I'm remembering wrong).

The pitch is misleading, too.  From it, you can't even tell that Falpian is in the story.  It's actually a dual POV, with half the chapters from Ryder's POV and half from Falpian's.  But the pitch doesn't even mention his existence, when it's half his story.  What's up with that?  And again, that girl isn't even important enough to be mentioned in the pitch.  What on earth was the publisher thinking when they did up this book design? 

Overall: Despite the misleading cover and pitch, this is a wonderful book.  I loved it.  It's the first book I've read this year that I've completely loved, that wasn't a sequel.  It has fantastic character development, and great writing.  It has an intense and action-filled, yet subtle plot.  It's something different for fantasy fans, while still being fantasy.  Highly recommended for fans of any sort of fantasy.

*No unicorns, actually.  Sorry.  I just really, really needed to get your attention so you'd realize that this book is cooler than it sounds.  

Because It's Annie's Birthday...

I'm going to post a bunch of amusing pictures.  Actually, I typed this up over a month ago, because I'm actually taking an Advanced American Literature final right now, but you guys get to see it now.  I'll warn you: this post has no real point.  If you're amused, great.  If not, well, I guess I'm just back where I started, with no monthly recap because Blogger decided to randomly delete the post.

You might want to click this one to see it full-size.

I am most definitey the introvert.

How WWII was really decided.

Kenny seems cool, although that does add up to three halves....

If you want, there's more here, here, and here.

Hold Me Closer, Necromancer, Fear, and The Ruins of Gorlan Mini-Reviews

Once again, I find myself in a position where I'm backed up on reviews (I'm behind 4 now...a new record!).  As always, I don't like doing these short reviews.  It's unfair to both the book and you guys, but I have to be realistic with myself, and a short review is better than no review.  So here goes. 
Also, just so you know, there won't be a monthly recap this month.  I had collected a huge, wonderful bunch of links that you would've liked.  Then the post mysteriously disappeared, and I can't find it anywhere.  Instead I'll have some amusingness for Wednesday.  Unless anyone by any chance knows how to track down missing blog posts.

Hold Me Closer, Necromancer (Necromancer #1) by Lish McBride

Sam leads a pretty normal life. He may not have the most exciting job in the world, but he’s doing all right—until a fast food prank brings him to the attention of Douglas, a creepy guy with an intense violent streak.

Turns out Douglas is a necromancer who raises the dead for cash and sees potential in Sam. Then Sam discovers he’s a necromancer too, but with strangely latent powers. And his worst nightmare wants to join forces . . . or else.

With only a week to figure things out, Sam needs all the help he can get. Luckily he lives in Seattle, which has nearly as many paranormal types as it does coffee places. But even with newfound friends, will Sam be able to save his skin?

This got creepy in places.  And funny.  This created a bit of an odd contrast, since sometimes I didn't know whether to be laughing or creeped out.  Or both.  I liked that aspect of it. 

This was something different.  I liked the mixing of all the different supernatural creatures, and Sam's ability seems unique.  Speaking of Sam...I liked him, as a character.  He was realistic, and likable.  I cheered for him the whole way through.

I enjoyed this. Though I do have an issue with the statement about Douglas looking stupid holding a riding crop. As someone who has spent quite a bit of time walking around with a riding crop, I know that isn't true. It's hard to look stupid with a crop, though it can be done. A person kinda feels cool walking around with a crop, to tell the truth. You can slap your thigh nonchalantly and just generally be awesome, 'cause, you know, you have a riding crop and other people don't. But I ramble. Re...moreI enjoyed this. Though I do have an issue with the statement about Douglas looking stupid holding a riding crop. As someone who has spent quite a bit of time walking around with a riding crop, I know that isn't true. It's hard to look stupid with a crop, though it can be done. A person kinda feels cool walking around with a crop, to tell the truth. You can slap your thigh nonchalantly and just generally be awesome, 'cause, you know, you have a riding crop and other people don't.   But I ramble.  Overall, this is a good book.  Recommended for fans of paranormal/supernatural fiction.  Or people who are amused by Elton John references that might be missed by a large portion of this book's audience.

Fear (Gone #5) by Michael Grant

It's been one year since all the adults disappeared. Gone.
Despite the hunger and the lies, even despite the plague, the kids of Perdido Beach are determined to survive. Creeping into the tenuous new world they've built, though, is perhaps the worst incarnation yet of the enemy known as the Darkness: fear.

Within the FAYZ, life breaks down while the Darkness takes over, literally—turning the dome-world of the FAYZ entirely black. In darkness, the worst fears of all emerge, and the cruelest of intentions are carried out. But even in their darkest moments, the inhabitants of the FAYZ maintain a will to survive and a desire to take care of the others in their ravaged band that endures, no matter what the cost.

Fear, Michael Grant's fifth book in the bestselling dystopian Gone series, will thrill readers . . . even as it terrifies them.

It's only been a year since I read the last Gone series book.  No big deal, right?  WRONG.  I first got into the Gone series shortly before Hunger came out.  I've been a huge fan ever since, and a year between books is a long time to wait. 

Thankfully, I was nowhere near disappointed with this latest installment.  What really keeps me going with this series is the characters.  I genuinely feel like I know them, and I want them to come out on top.  Well, except for the ones I don't like.  Like, say, Drake.  But now the author's got me even a bit sympathetic to Caine.  What's up with that?  That's the beauty (and the scariness) of it--the characters are all so real. 

The intensity of this series of marvelous.  I love all the action and suspense.  And with that ending, now I can't help but wonder, and count down the days until the next book.

This is a horribly short review for such an awesome book.  I suppose if I think of something more to rant on, I'll add it.  Or maybe someday I'll return to this and post a full review.

If you haven't yet gotten on board with the Gone series, you need to.  As soon as possible.  This series just keeps getting better.  It leaves you on the edge of your seat, it makes you thankful for just about everything, it creeps you out and scares you, and stuns you with its awesomeness, it leaves a trail of epicness everywhere you take it, etc. 

Reviews of other Gone novels:
Plague (Gone #4)
Light (Gone #6)

 The Ruins of Gorlan (Ranger's Apprentice #1) by John Flanagan
They have always scared him in the past—the Rangers, with their dark cloaks and shadowy ways. The villagers believe the Rangers practice magic that makes them invisible to ordinary people. And now 15-year-old Will, always small for his age, has been chosen as a Ranger's apprentice. What he doesn't yet realize is that the Rangers are the protectors of the kingdom. Highly trained in the skills of battle and surveillance, they fight the battles before the battles reach the people. And as Will is about to learn, there is a large battle brewing. The exiled Morgarath, Lord of the Mountains of Rain and Night, is gathering his forces for an attack on the kingdom. This time, he will not be denied. . . .

I've been wanting to read this series for awhile.  Even though it's probably more of a middle grade book than YA, I am of the firm opinion that you're never too old for a good MG.  Especially MG fantasy. 

This book had a great premise that, for the most part, it carried through on.  I liked our MC, Will, even though he seemed a bit young for his fifteen years.  I was cheering him on anyway.  I liked Halt, too, and I was especially happy to see a bit of a horse-rider relationship forming (if you ever want to win me over quickly with a book, throw in a solid horse-rider relationship.  Works almost every time.).

I do have my issues with this book, though.  First up is my plot issue.  It moved along fairly slowly for a good two-thirds of the book.  I kept waiting for these so-called battles to start, and in the end, they barely even showed up in the book.  I'm hoping the next books will improve on this.  And...one thing I didn't understand.  Hey, there's a super-powerful monster to kill!  Let's send one of our best Rangers, a newbie, and a clueless apprentice to kill it!  Makes total sense to the author, apparently, but not to me. 

My second issue is with Horace, and the bullies that were picking on him.  Yes, I understand that these bullies were horrible to Horace and made his life utterly miserable.  Yes, I understand that something needed to be done.  But...we don't deal with bullies by beating them mercilessly.  Halt could've just scared them, and they'd leave Horace alone.  That would have been enough.  But no, we've got to beat them, fight them with swords, knock them unconscious.  This went too far.  I don't care how horrible a bully is to you--you don't just beat them until they beg you to stop. 

My third, more minor issue, is with the pony.  Now, I loved the pony, and his relationship with Will.  But why does every fantasy author assume kids can't ride full-sized horses?  I was perfectly capable of handling a full-size horse when I was much smaller than Will.

Despite my issues, I liked this book.  I suppose it's more of a 3.5, but I round up.  Because it's mathematically correct, and I'm nice.  Four stars it is. 

Write What You Love (Recycled)

Note: This is a recycled post from early 2011.  I suddenly found myself in a position where I had not blog post written for today, and would have no opportunity in the next few days.  So I pulled up an old post you might not have seen (or remembered), and edited it a bit.  Enjoy!

At some point in their life, every author has asked this question:

"What should I write?"

I hope you weren't expecting some long complicated answer, because you won't get one. The only answer is write what you love.

Think about books for a second. Think of your favorite books. What kind of books make you stay up late after bedtime, thinking just one more chapter...one more chapter...and it turns into three hours? For me, it depends, but in this case I'll say epic fantasies. I love the adventure, magic, and just plain awesomeness of Lord of the Rings-style sagas. I like dragons and wizards and cool stuff like that.

Is that what I'm writing? Pretty much! Well, it's not on the same all-out war level of fantasy as LOTR. But it has dragons and...you get it.

What you should never, ever do is write on a trend. Dystopias are popular now, sure, but publishing is sloooow, and by the time you're even done writing the trend will be long past. It's already starting to die, and that's a problem for your super-trendy book. I wouldn't have wanted to be the author of Twilight's agent right after the book's huge success. Just imagine how many people sent her their vampire romance novels just because Twilight did well! Never write something just because you think it will sell well. Fantasy novels aren't the trend right now, but I'm writing one just because I love it that much.

Here's a good rule of thumb: If you were a reader and saw your book at the library (or bookstore, for the germophobics), would you pick it up? Would you like your own story? If no, chances are you aren't writing what you should be writing. Do you, as the author, enjoy your own story? If not, your readers will pick up on that, and they won't enjoy it either.

So, here's my say on what you should write: Write what you love. Write the story that wants to be told. Write the words that keep you up at night, distract you during class, and run through your head all the way home. Write a story you truly enjoy. Write the book that keeps coming back, long after you've told yourself to forget about it.

Robert Frost once wrote: “No tears in the writer, no tears in the reader. No surprise in the writer, no surprise in the reader.”

This is wonderful advice, on so many difference levels.  If your story doesn't make you excited, then it certainly won't affect the reader.  If you don't care, then don't expect the reader to care.  
But if it makes you care, makes you thrilled, makes you excited?  Write it.  Write with passion, and get that story into the world.

Because anyway, it's your story, so nobody else can tell it better than you!

Get In Late, Get Out Early

For awhile now, I've found myself giving the same piece of writing advice over and over.  Finally, I've decided to just write up a whole post about it.

When do you start your first scene?  How do you start it? How do you know when to end a scene?

For questions like these, go by this rule: Get in as late as you possibly can, and get out as early as you possibly can. 

What this means is that you shouldn't start your book (or your first scene, or any scene) any earlier than you need to.  When does the action start?  When does the essential plot problem come into play?  When is your inciting incident?  Start here, and not a minute sooner. 

For example, say I'm writing a book about Fred, a high school student who wants to be a detective.  His goal in the story is to solve the mystery of who stole his friend's iPad (all my plot-building power goes into my actual books, so I have no decent plots to use as examples). One morning, he gets up and takes a shower.  He gets dressed and grabs a poptart on his way out the door.  He picks up his friend Jason, and they have a lengthy discussion on the merits of Firefox vs. Google Chrome.  When he gets to school, he meets up with his other friend, Bob.  Out of the corner of his eye, he sees a dark shadow appear, snatch the iPad out of Bob's backpack, and disappear again. 

This is where you should start your story, right at that moment where he sees that sketchy shadow.  That's when the real plot begins.  The scene where he drives Jason to school isn't needed.  It's part of Fred's life, yes, but it's not part of the plot.  It's not needed. 

This same principle applies to every scene you write.  Start it as late as you possibly can, while still having it make sense.  This, then, ties into the next part of this in-late-out-early rule.  When you're finishing a scene, get out as early as possible.  What is the earliest point you can end this scene without omitting any crucial elements?  This is where it should end. 

This goes for the end of the entire book, too.  You have a little more room to work here, but you should generally follow the same rule.  Don't let your ending drag.  This is probably another post for another time, so I won't get in too deep on this.  But if the main plot of your story has ended, and all loose ends have been wrapped up, don't keep going.  Stop before your readers start losing interest.

Get in late, get out early.  I don't even remember where I first heard this, but it's proved to be one of the best pieces of advice I've received.  Don't start any earlier than you need to, and don't keep going after everything has been wrapped up. 

Have writing questions? Don't hesitate to shoot me an email at theanniemarie(at)gmail(dot)com!       

TimeRiders (TimeRiders #1) by Alex Scarrow

Mess around with time and the world you know...could become a world you don't.

Liam O'Connor should have died at sea in 1912. Maddy Carter should have died on a plane in 2010. Sal Vikram should have died in a fire in 2026. Yet moments before death, someone mysteriously appeared and said, 'Take my hand ...'

But Liam, Maddy and Sal aren't rescued. They are recruited by an agency that no one knows exists, with only one purpose - to fix broken history. Because time travel is here, and there are those who would go back in time and change the past. That's why the TimeRiders exist: to protect us. To stop time travel from destroying the world...

Released: January 2010   Pages: 432
Publisher: Puffin Books   Source: Bought
First Look: ***** I loved the premise of this, right from the first time I read the back cover.  I just had to buy it.  I'm rather fond of time travel stories.  I hoped this one would follow through.  This might be a shorter review, since I've gotten behind again. 

Setting: ***** The historical aspects of this were cool.  Of course, setting your first scene in the sinking Titanic is always a fantastic idea.  The other settings were interesting, too.  The author definitely did a nice job making the altered history seem very believable. 

Characters: ***** This was the disappointing part of this book, in my opinion.  The characters all fell flat.  They had the potential to be interesting, likable characters, but I couldn't connect to them.  None of them really had distinct personalities.  Out of the three main characters, I'd have to say Liam was my favorite, though that's probably because he got the most time in the spotlight. 

I'm really hoping the next book improves on this aspect.  The thing I wanted to see, especially, was the growth of a bond between the three main characters.  I didn't see much of this, but hopefully it gets better as the series goes on.

Plot: ***** The plot was compelling.  The premise was awesome, and it was carried out well.  It's so easy for plots of books involving time travel to become either unbelievable, or hopelessly confusing.  Or both.  Fortunately, this book had neither.  The believability of the plot is, in my opinion, the real gem of this book.  Scarrow makes us think "Yeah, this could happen in our future."  Then when history gets all twisted around, it's still convincing.  It can be a bit spooky, to think of the things that might've happened had history taken a different path. 

Uniqueness: ***** It's a straight-up time travel book.  No dithering about in paranormal.

Writing: ***** This is one of those books where it's just so easy to blow through the entire thing and realize you hardly remember any of the writing. That's a good thing, in its own way. It's written in a manner that keeps you going through the story without letting the narration remind you of the fact that, hey, you're actually reading a book.

My only complaint was some of Liam's dialogue.  Someone who was a teenager in 1912 isn't going to have "friggin" in their vocabulary.  They aren't going to use "awkward" the way we use it today.  It just didn't make sense for him.

Likes: Bob.

Not-so-great: Nothing that wasn't mentioned above. 

Overall:  I enjoyed this book.  It had a cool premise which, thankfully, followed through.  The plot was compelling, and it offered some interesting thoughts on how history could have been different.  It was full of action and suspense.  It was a little lacking in the character development area, but I'd still recommend it, especially to people who like time travel books, or anyone who's looking for a distraction from all the recent paranormal or dystopian stuff that's being published lately.