Tag: YA fantasy

Posted in So Many Good Books, YA Novels

Firstborn

Posted on by Susan Uhlig

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Firstborn (Blink, 2014) by Lorie Ann Grover grabbed me by the throat right from the start with young Tiadone witnessing a Madronian priest taking a “useless” firstborn female from her R’tan parents. The baby will die. Tiadone hadn’t believed the stories, but now he knows it’s true. And it would have happened to him if his parents hadn’t declared her male at birth.
How could you not read on after that?
This is author Lorie Ann Grover’s first fantasy novel, which received a Kirkus Starred Review. Watch the book trailer here.
More importantly read why Lorie Ann wrote this novel: “The impetus for Firstborn was an article I read on gendercide. Appalled that the atrocity continues today, I funneled my anger into writing this novel. My hope is that through the power of story, awareness and action against gendercide will increase. The United Nations estimates that there are 200 million girls missing today. You can read more about gendercide and take action at www.allgirlsallowed.org or www.ggaap.com.”
Lorie Ann has 3 previous novels in verse published. Read about them on her website.

Posted in Award Winners, So Many Good Books, YA Novels

Daughter of Smoke and Bone

Posted on by Susan Uhlig

DaughterofSmokeI love it when I read a book and, knowing a sequel is in progress, can’t wait for the next one. That’s what it was like for me when I read Daughter of Smoke & Bone (Little, Brown, 2012) by Laini Taylor. And isn’t the cover beautiful?

Here’s a brief summary of Book 1: Karou is an artist living in Prague, going to art school, has bright blue hair, and draws fantastical creatures that her artist friends don’t believe are real. Not even her best friend Zuzana. But Brimstone aka the Wishmonger, Issa, Twiga and Yasri are real. In fact they raised her. Karou tells stories about them with a wry smile and there’s no risk of being believed. Of course she wishes she knew who she really was. Then while on one of Brimstone’s errands to collect teeth, Karou meets and fights an angel. Everything gets worse from there. (The story is told in Akiva, the angel’s viewpoint too.)

I haven’t managed to read Book 2: Days of Blood and Starlight yet–it’s on my list–but the third book in the trilogy has been announced too! It’s called Dreams of Gods and Monsters and comes out next spring.

Book 1 has been optioned for a movie; waiting with bated breath for more information on that.

And it all couldn’t have happened to a nicer author. Read more about Laini on her website.

Posted in So Many Good Books, YA Novels

White Cat

Posted on by Susan Uhlig

white catWhite Cat (Margaret K. McElderry Books, 2010) by Holly Black is the first book in a fascinating world of magic and mobsters.
17-year-old Cassell is living at Wallingford Preparatory to try to live a normal life. He’s the only nonmagic member in a family of workers. Dad is dead, Mom in jail and his brothers Philip and Barron exclude him, although they did protect him 3 years ago when . . . But I can’t tell you that!
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Here are the great opening lines:
“I wake up barefoot, standing on cold slate tiles. Looking dizzily down. I suck in a breath of icy air.”
As you read on you discover those tiles are on a roof and there is no way for him to get down. *shudder* Talk about a nightmare! Humiliating for a teen boy to not only have to be rescued but for it to happen publicly in front of his peers? That’s worse.
In August 2009, I heard Holly Black speak at the LA SCBWI conference about how readers must be able to believe the fantastical world. As she said “the real stuff has to be really real” and she’s done this with this book.
red gloveBook Two, Red Glove, came out in 2011 and you’ll want to read it, too. The Curse Worker series has its own website where you can read about the books, watch a great trailer, and check out extras.
On Holly’s regular site, she’s got a “cover to be unveiled” picture of the third book, Black Heart. It’ll be exciting to see the reveal.

Posted in Award Winners, So Many Good Books, YA Novels

The Demon King

Posted on by Susan Uhlig

I was already hooked on Cinda Williams Chima‘s Heir Chronicles and now I’m hooked on her Seven Realms novels. The former are set in contemporary times in America and England. The latter are set in a fascinating complex world of magic, castles, sword fighting and more. Let’s talk about them now.
demon kingThe Demon King (Hyperion, 2009) is about Han Alister, thief, former streetlord, and friend of the Clans, and Princess Raisa ana Marianna, descendent of Hanalea and half Clan herself. They both live in the city of Fellsmarch, but in two completely extremes of society.
Han’s nickname is Cuffs because of the silver cuffs around his wrists that can’t be removed. He takes an amulet away from a wizard on the mountain of Hanalea, which ends up putting his mother and young sister at risk. Will the rich and the wizards take everything away from Han in return?
Raisa flirts and exchanges kisses with the same wizard mentioned above, Micah Bayar. Yet now she’s worrying that his father has too much control over her mother the Queen. Her father is away with the Clans. Can she be like her warrior queen ancestress or is she just going to be an ornamental princess?
Read it to find out! But you won’t want to stop there.
Exiled queenThe story is continued in The Exiled Queen (Hyperion, 2010) and will conclude with The Gray Wolf Throne–not out until September 2011. SIGH! (I don’t like waiting…)
I enjoyed both of these books–I didn’t want to do anything but keep reading to find out what was going to happen. The characters are believable people each struggling with their situations in their dangerous world. My husband is reading them, too.
Read about fantasy author Cinda Williams Chima at her site. You can find out about more books in the works, good news, appearances, and more. Go to her blog for writing advice.