Young Adult

Double Down (Lois Lane #2) By: Gwenda Bond

double-down

Double Down (Lois Lane #2) By: Gwenda Bond

Plot:

Lois Lane has settled in to her new school. She has friends, for maybe the first time in her life. She has a job that challenges her. And her friendship is growing with SmallvilleGuy, her online maybe-more-than-a-friend. But when her friend Maddy’s twin collapses in a part of town she never should’ve been in, Lois finds herself embroiled in a dangerous mystery that brings her closer to the dirty underbelly of Metropolis.

Review:

This time around I wasn’t thinking about how much I dislike Lois Lane or wondering if I was about to get drowned in teenage angsty drama. Bond already sold me on her world and Lois Lane with Fallout so this time I was just super excited. The fact that it took me so long to read had nothing to do with my anticipation and everything to do with me being pregnant and unable to do pretty much anything but be miserable. The book sat on my shelf for months, since I pre-ordered it, taunting me. I’m finally feeling well enough to read something new and this was the first book I picked up.

I can’t write about a Lois Lane book without mentioning how much I love the cover, even the crisp white paper in the book seems high quality. I love it all.

I’m happy to say that I enjoyed Double Down just as much as Fallout. There was a bit more teen romance this time around, but since I like the characters it didn’t bother me and it was never the sole focus in the story, there was always a lot going on. In fact there might have been too much, I’m actually glad that not everything was completely wrapped up at the end because it would have been too neat.

Lois is still very much an intrepid reporter doing some pretty daring things to get to the truth, though, she never did anything outright stupid. Her main villain this time was a mob boss named ‘Boss’ who I actually don’t even think she ever met. Which is probably a good thing, cause a mob boss with that name is probably not someone you’d want to mess with. Since this is a kids book it never got too dark, though.

The virtual reality from the first book was still used, there were also a few more Sci-Fi elements that I appreciated and a few comic nods. Bond has done a good job making these characters and the world her own without ignoring the source material and I really appreciate that as a fan.

Love this series and I’m excited to see a third book in the works already, but I’m concerned about the long term plan for these. Is it going to be an ongoing series like Nancy Drew that sees new writers come in and the characters never really aging? Is there an end game in mind with a finish for the series? Will there be more books that aren’t comics starring these characters as they get older? That would be pretty awesome, I love comics but to see these characters in full books would be so much fun.

I guess I’ll just have to wait and see.

4.5/5

A Confusion of Princes By: Garth Nix

a-confusion-of-princes

A Confusion of Princes By: Garth Nix

Plot:

A grand adventure that spans galaxies and lifetimes, A Confusion of Princes is a page-turning thriller, a tender romance, and a powerful exploration of what it means to be human. includes exclusive bonus Garth Nix short story ‘Master Haddad’s Holiday’. I have died three times, and three times been reborn, though I am not yet twenty in the old earth years by which it is still the fashion to measure time. This is the story of my three deaths, and my life between. My name is Khemri. Taken from his parents as a child and equipped with biological and technological improvements, Khemri is now an enhanced human being, trained and prepared for the glory of becoming a Prince of the Empire. Not to mention the ultimate glory: should he die, and be deemed worthy, he will be reborn…Which is just as well, because no sooner has Prince Khemri graduated to full Princehood than he learns the terrible truth behind the Empire: there are ten million princes, and all of them want each other dead.

Review:

It took a while for me to get into this book, mainly because it had a teenage boy as the protagonist. I’m trying to steer clear of books with teenage boys as leads because I seriously cannot relate to them at all, but this was by Garth Nix, I had to read it.

The space setting was really cool and there was a LOT of tech and politics and stuff going on. The world was interesting, though, a bit more hopeless than I like.

Khemri was everything that I hope my children aren’t. Thankfully he grew as a character and that’s what made this book worthwhile. If he’d stayed how he was or only slightly changed it wouldn’t have been worth it, but he did.

Not my favorite Nix book, but it wasn’t bad, it’s also a standalone which feels rare now a days.

3/5

The Eye of Zoltar (The Chronicles of Kazam #3) By: Jasper Fforde

The Eye of Zoltar

The Eye of Zoltar (The Chronicles of Kazam #3) By: Jasper Fforde

Plot:

Orphans Jennifer Strange 16, manager of Kazam mages, and apprentice Tiger Prawns 12, stand in the way of The Mighty Shandar. Shandar must kill last two dragons for King of Snodd in Ununited Kingdoms. Jen needs legendary jewel The Eye of Zoltar, last seen on pirate, and to tutor spoiled Princess Shazzarine. Perilous journey has 50% Fatality Index.

Review:

So I’m pretty pissed off at the ending of this book. Basically a huge cliffhanger, have no idea what’s going to be done with the Eye of Zoltar or what’s happened to most of the side characters and no idea when the next book will be published.

The last Nursery Crimes book came out in 2004, and there’s been a third book listed on Goodreads for a long time now. Fforde’s also got another series that ended on a cliffhanger this big and yet the last I read he was writing a book that wasn’t involved in either universe.

Ugh.

Annoyed.

Angry.

Someone else is going to be locked up in my writer’s dungeon.

Anyway, the story was good, hilarious at parts, moving at others. Lots happened, lots. My favorite quotes are:

“If we didn’t execute bankers and rogue traders found guilty of financial mischief, it might give them a clear signal that it’s actually okay, and then where would we be?”

 

“She did break the law—what do you think they should have done? Given her a bonus for her daring and ingenuity?”

 

Enjoy the series, now I just have to wait god only knows how long before I get the next book.

4/5

 

The Song of the Quarkbeast (The Chronicles of Kazam #2) By: Jasper Fforde

The Song of the Quarkbeast

The Song of the Quarkbeast (Last Dragonslayer #2) By: Jasper Fforde

Plot:

Long ago, magic began to fade, and the underemployed magicians of Kazam Mystical Arts Management have been forced to take any work their sixteen-year-old acting manager, Jennifer Strange, can scare up. But things are about to change. Magical power is finally on the rise, and King Snodd IV, of the Ununited Kingdoms knows that he who controls magic controls everything. Only one person stands between Snodd and his plans for a magic-grab–and that’s Jennifer.

Yet even smart and sensible Jennifer would have trouble against these powers-that-be. The king and his cronies will do anything to succeed–including ordering a just-might-be-rigged contest between Kazam and iMagic, Kazam’s only competitor in the magic business. With underhanded shenanigans afoot, how can Kazam possibly win?

Whatever happens, one this is certain: Jennifer Strange will not relinquish the noble powers of magic without a fight.

Review:

A great installment in a series that I’m already feeling like is an old favorite. I’m comfortable with the characters and I love the quirky world. It’s classic Jasper Fforde.

I did feel like the epilogue at the end was kind of weird. It was like an ending, as though there were no other books, which kind of reminded me of the last Thursday Next book I read. Maybe Fforde wasn’t sure his publisher was going to let him write another book in the series? Not sure. Now a days, if the readers are there if a publisher doesn’t pick up a series, I don’t see why authors don’t just publish themselves.

Anyway, love the series, already have the next book on hold at the library.

5/5

The Last Dragonslayer (Chronicles of Kazam #1) By: Jasper Fforde

The Last Dragonslayer

The Last Dragonslayer (Chronicles of Kazam #1) By: Jasper Fforde

Plot:

In the good old days, magic was indispensable—it could both save a kingdom and clear a clogged drain. But now magic is fading: drain cleaner is cheaper than a spell, and magic carpets are used for pizza delivery. Fifteen-year-old foundling Jennifer Strange runs Kazam, an employment agency for magicians—but it’s hard to stay in business when magic is drying up. And then the visions start, predicting the death of the world’s last dragon at the hands of an unnamed Dragonslayer. If the visions are true, everything will change for Kazam—and for Jennifer. Because something is coming. Something known as . . . Big Magic.

Review:

Jasper Fforde’s books are so awesome and strange and cool and fanciful and off the wall bizarre and I love them. Well there was one I didn’t love, but all the others I do. I think, there’s a couple yet that I need to read.

Anyway, this is a young adult novel that is not filled with stupid teenage emotions and all that CW stuff that often times pops up in YA books. This is a great Jasper Fforde for kids book. It’s funny and ridiculous and thought provoking. It’s a great start of what could be an awesome series and I can’t wait to read the next one.

5/5