The Diviners

Evie O'Neill has been exiled from her boring old hometown and shipped off to the bustling streets of New York City - and she is pos-i-tute-ly ecstatic.  It's 1926, and New York is filled with speakeasies, Ziegfeld girls and rakish pickpockets.  The only catch is that she has to live with her uncle Will - and his unhealthy obsession with the occult.
Evie worries he'll discover her darkest secrets: a supernatural power that has only brought he trouble so far.  But when the police find a murdered girl branded with a cryptic symbol and Will is called to the scene, Evie realizes her gift could help catch a serial killer.
As Evie jumps headlong into a dance with a murderer, other stories unfold in the city that never sleeps.  A young man named Memphis is caught between two worlds.  A chorus girl named Theta is running from her past.  A student named Jericho hides a shocking secret.
And unknown to all, something dark and evil has awakened.

 

 

I had seen The Diviners being review on many other blogs and had read relatively good things about this supernatural tale set in the 1920's.  Even though I have a self-imposed ordering from the library ban on at the moment in order to get all my reading done by the holidays, I had to make an exception for this intriguing book.

 

Firstly, this is definitely not a quick read.  My edition was a hardback and at 500+ pages long and my poor arms were aching after about 10mins of reading but I had to persevere.  The Diviners page count is not the only reason it will never be a quick read; Bray's attention to detail - both about the setting and her character backgrounds - is awe worthy and her extensive research translates well into the text without dragging the story to a halt.  While it may put some off, I think the story benefits from Bray's inclusion of many small details, giving the story the air of needing to be savoured and re-read.  Yes, certain things could be cut, but would I have had the same understanding of the characters or enjoyment of the book as a whole? 

 

My main reason for wanting to read this book so desperately was that it was set in Manhattan in the 1920's.  I've had a streak of reading paranormal books set in either alternative our time or far flung in the future that I found talks of flappers and prohibition refreshing, making me imagine the city in a  completely different way. 

 

The Diviners has a huge cast of characters, and this is normally the downfall for a lot of books.  Amazingly they each get their allotted page space, even if they are to become victims of Naughty John, and have rich, detailed histories that transform them from stereotypes and into real people. Speaking of which, the Naughty John segments (especially the early ones) were adeptly pulled off, and read like they had come from the pages of an adult crime/thriller novel. 

 

My only disappointment with The Diviners was that I felt towards the end the last few pages were too occupied with setting up plot threads for the next book.  However, I am intrigued to see where Libba Bray will take her cast next. 

 

I also have to mention the great website for The Diviners!  Click here for character profiles, etc..

Blackbirds

I took Chuck Wendig's Blackbirds with me on a train journey that started at 5.55am and finished at 11.45am.  Instead of catching up on sleep, like any normal person, I was hooked from the first page and couldn't put this amazing novel down, tiredness be dammed.

Miriam Black is something of a nomad.  An opportunist, she doesn't connect to people, but for a good reason: when she makes touches another persons skin she sees how they die.  Unfortunately most people don't die in their sleep with their family surrounding them, but in violent or unexpected ways.  Having tried to defy fate in the past, but not making any difference, Miriam has given up trying to change what has to happen.  That is until she hitches a ride from truck driver Louis, and after seeing the traumatic events that lead to his death she realises that she is somehow involved and tries to get as far away from him as possible. 


What follows is a fast paced, tumultuous journey leading to the inevitable.  I was astounded at how much I loved Blackbirds.  There was something that felt different about it, and is perhaps the first book I've read where the text matched the impressive cover.  I enjoyed it so much I've been telling everyone I know to read it, and I practically shoved it in my mum's hands as soon as I got home so she could see what a unique book this is.
  The structure of the novel is amazing, I never felt bored, or that the story stalled at any point.  I thought that Wendig was clever by including interludes that revealed more of Miriam's past, and alluded to when her visions began, without having to halt the main plot with tons of exposition.
Miriam herself is an astounding and complicated and a brilliantly mouthy character as are the other strange people that she encounters on the road.  I honestly cannot wait until the sequel, Mockingbird, is released later this year.

New Acquisitions

Ordered some books with my birthday vouchers at the weekend, and they arrived in the post today.  I love post!  Especially when it isn't a bank statement that tells me I have no money at all or my student loan statement that tells me I owe a lot of money to the man.

Fated and Cursed, both by Benedict Jacka, are supposed to be written in the same vein as Rivers of London and The Dresden Files so I'm assuming I may fall in love with them. 
  My risky choice is Chris F. Holm's Dead Harvest.  The blurb describes it as 'a stunning mix of urban fantasy and noir-dark crime' which is something a bit different for me, but what really hooked me was the cover.  It is beautiful, and I am a very shallow book reader.
  Will report back at a later date as to how all three fared reading wise...

Whispers Underground

I was really impressed with Ben Aaronovitch's first book, Rivers of London, but not so much by the second offering, Moon Over Soho.  However, I was prepared to forgive a 'sophmore slump' and hoped that Whispers Under Ground would be a return to form.

It's December, and Peter Gant is investigating the death of a young American artist who was found at Baker Street tube station.  With Inspector Nightingale busy, the case leads Peter to into the hidden depths of the London Underground, with an FBI agent hot on his heels.  

As always, Aaronovitch's knowledge of London is impressive, as is the way he weaves said knowledge into the story seamlessly.  However, I didn't feel that much happened or engaged with Peter's investigation until the last hundred pages.  In some instances it felt that Aaronovitch was shunning the magic aspect of the series for a more conventional set up.  I had been told by another reader that more was revealed about the faceless man, but this was not the case.  Or at least not in a substantial way that would make me eager for the next instalment.  Perhaps when Aaronovitch has a plan for the series and knows where it will end the stories will improve and he will exploit their full potential.  Nonetheless, Whispers Under Ground is a very well written, witty and informative piece of fiction and well worth a read. 

Gil's All Fright Diner

In the style of a drive-in science fiction movie; a ghost, a werewolf and a vampire all come together to save the world from a hormonally charged young girl, who just happens to be a demon worshipper, and who intends to bring about the apocalypse.  A good, funny, quick read that stayed true to the genre.  Think along the lines of an American Hell Train and you won't be disappointed.

Daughter of Smoke and Bone

Laini Taylor's Daughter of Smoke and Bone is about Karou, a blue haired, tattooed art student who lives in Prague, and has just gone through a painful break-up.  Her sketch book is full of drawings of creatures made up of different animals that are actually portraits of the people who raised her.  Leading a double life isn't easy, and Karou's life is about to become even more complicated.

I really enjoyed this book.  The settings of Prague and Marrakesh were refreshing and vividly described as were the Chimera.  The imagination and the thought that must have gone in to create them amazes me.  Even though the dreaded love story is a focal point, there was enough Otherness about Daughter of Smoke and Bone that kept me reading.  Also, if I'm honest, I loved the Sailor Mooness of it.  Another thing I liked was that a YA author managed to include the topic of sex in a completely normal way, and did not put the issue on a pedestal that took up most of the novel.  It is mentioned briefly at the start, and then the real meat of the story comes into play.  After reading Daughter of Smoke and Bone  I only had a couple of complaints:   
 Firstly, Karou's loneliness. Why does she feel the need to be with someone, and why are most YA novels so focused on the 'importance' of romantic relationships?
Secondly, that the entire last half of the book is given over to back story.  I realise that this is needed but it leads to my next point and that was the feeling that there should have been more book after the back story was finished. I know that it is being saved for the rest of the series, but I would have happily read another hundred pages.  However, maybe it's a good thing that I'm left wanting more as I will definitely be on the look-out for the next offering from Taylor.

Breathers

S.G Browne's debut has a uniqueness that set it apart from the over crowded market for zombie tales.  In Breathers, reanimating after death is purely down to chance.  Andy, the narrator, reanimated after he rammed his car into a tree.  The same accident killed his wife, but she didn't come back, and this resulted in their daughter being taken to live with her aunt and uncle, and Andy living in his parents basement turned wine cellar with feelings of guilt and anguish.

 

  Browne is quick to set up the premise that zombies are people, too, the only difference is that they often have the physical ailments that caused their original demise.  For Andy and his friends, formed at a local support group, there's no slow walking, no moaning, no craving of human flesh.  Their problems are due to the fact that they live in a world that was subjected to zombie movies and Breathers, what they call the non-dead, cannot separate Hollywood zombies from the ones that share their world.

 Breathers has all the necessary ingredients for an interesting read, but I found it hard to empathise with Andy.  Throughout, Andy repeats the line 'you wouldn't understand' with different variations applicable to his increasingly strange situation.  Towards the end, I realised that I didn't want to understand, and it made it hard to have a positive response to this book.  I think I liked it, there's plenty of comedy elements in there to stop it from becoming too politically motivated, but I don't think I'll rushing to read it again.

Switched

Amanda Hocking's novel was a intriguing read.  However, with cheesetastic lines (that I couldn't help but read aloud in a melodramatic voice) and the love square/triangle with people that have only just met, Switched is not without problems.

Wendy Everly has always felt different.  At her sixth birthday party, after throwing yet another tantrum, her mother tried to kill her, all while screaming that she wasn't her daughter.  Now seventeen, and at yet another new school, Wendy can't help but notice the boy in class who has been staring at her.  Little does she know that he is about to reveal her true identity.

Plot wise, after the first few chapters nothing really happens.  For me the majority of the book is an introduction, and you'd think this would be a bad, no?  Well it isn't.  There's plenty of potential for the next two books, and because everything has practically been established in Switched, it should allow for more development without a re-hash of what has already been described. 

What also saved Switched for me was the short story included in my edition about the Vittra family.  I found those 20+ pages to be filled with characters who were complex and intriguing and had me slightly wishing that the whole book had been told from their perspective.   
  I think I had set out not to like Switched, but, I found there was enough to keep me happy and more than plenty for me to discuss once I had finished

Fated

S.G Browne's concept for his second novel intrigued me from the get go.  A humorous tale about the personification of  Fate and Destiny, and what happens when they meddle with the outcomes of the humans lives they preside over.  Fated has a similar tone to Breathers, so don't expect any happy endings, and the same self centered narrative that can be grating.  However, it is apparent that Browne's writing style has evolved, even if only slightly.  Not fantastic but something different and perhaps if Browne carries on with this trend he may publish an amazing novel in the future.

Third Grave Dead Ahead

I wish that I liked this series as so many others seem to be enamored with the adventures of female grim reaper Charley Davidson.  There are pages where I do find myself intrigued and that's why I have persevered to read all three books in the series so far.  However, after finishing Third Grave Dead Ahead, I am certain that Darynda Jones has a writing style that is not to my taste. 

A good series makes sure to inform new readers of what has happened before, while at the same time still rewarding previous readers with new information.  Yet, with almost a third of the book rehashing what went on in the prior two novels, and a nearly identical plot to the Second Grave on the Left, the only redeeming feature of TGDA was the introduction of a biker gang and their dog Artemis. 

The biggest disappointment was the reveal as to why Owen Vaughn tried to run Charely over in high school; it was such a waste of a possible plot line that could have integrated itself into the main mythology of the series. Instead I was left questioning as to why it was included in the books to begin with.. 

Another sticking point, which I may be reading into too much, was what felt like a continual message throughout the series that it's okay for the men in your life to mistreat you.  Both Reyes and Charley's father betray her, enough so that she's gravely injured in both circumstances, but she makes excuses for them. Everything will be okay because she loves them and that notion doesn't sit well with me.  I think it is the main reason why this is the end of the road for me and Charley Davidson.  I can't help but think good riddance.

The Reckoning

The Reckoning is the final part of Chloe's arc in the Darkest Powers series and Kelley Armstrong successfully provides an exciting end to the trilogy.  The long set up of the love triangle finally comes to fruition.  Secrets are revealed and alliances formed, some with shady characters.  Not all problems are solved in the end leaving enough to be answered in the new series, set in the same world but in another location that has links with Edison Group, which starts with The Gathering.  I can't reveal too much without spoiling such an interlinked series, so the best advice I can offer is to get your hands on a copy and see what you think, especially if you're a fan of Armstrong's Otherworld series (or just an individual book/short story of hers) as you won't be dissapointed.

The Summoning

 Kelley Armstrong's The Summoning is the first book in her Young Adult Darkest Powers Trilogy.  Set in the Otherworld, but with no appearances from characters in Armstrong's lead series, this is possibly the best YA novel I have read.

Fifteen year old Chloe Saunders has been sent to Lyle House, a small group home for troubled teens, after an outburst at school.  While her teachers thought she was a suffering a violent mental break, Chloe was experiencing her first instance of interacting with a ghost.  Chloe is desperate to get out of Lyle house and get back on track to achieving her dreams of becoming a director, but her efforts propel her into discovering the true nature of group looking after her.

What struck me most is there's no focus on what seems to be the obligatory teen romance that clogs so many young adult novels.  Priority is, rightly, given to the excellent plot that is paced so well that The Summoning could easily be stocked in the adult section of a bookstore and attract an older audience.

Terrifying in places, with a good twist at the end (especially if you have no prior knowledge of Armstrong's work), I was smiling when I finished and couldn't wait to get my hands on the next book in the series.

Spell Bound

Starting directly after the events of Waking the Witch, Savannah Levine has lost her most powerful asset - her magic.  With a witch hunter after her, and something much bigger brewing in the supernatural world, now is not the best time for her to feel powerless.


Kelley Armstrong's penultimate Women of the Otherworld series did not disappoint.  If anything I grew sadder that the series is about to end when she can deliver a novel like this.  It was filler, tying up loose ends and setting up the endgame, but proper filler with a core story: Growing Up.  Yes Savannah is 22, and she's an adult in a literal sense but emotionally she's still been that cocky twelve year old girl I first read about in (book 2) Stolen.  Nearly everyone from the series makes a cameo of sorts, but it never felt forced or unnecessary, each meeting was helping the story edge along.

I was getting to the end and was like, hang on, I want more!  Which is always a great feeling.  I hope Armstrong can wrap up the Otherworld, not neatly or too mushily, but with the amazing flair that has kept me hooked for 12 books.