The Book Smugglers

Book Review: The Shambling Guide to New York City by Mur Lafferty

Ana — Tue, 21 May 2013 12:52:11 +0000

Title: The Shambling Guide to New York City

Author: Mur Lafferty

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Publisher: Orbit
Publication date: May 28 2013
Paperback: 368 pages

A travel writer takes a job with a shady publishing company in New York, only to find that she must write a guide to the city – for the undead!

Because of the disaster that was her last job, Zoe is searching for a fresh start as a travel book editor in the tourist-centric New York City. After stumbling across a seemingly perfect position though, Zoe is blocked at every turn because of the one thing she can’t take off her resume — human.

Not to be put off by anything — especially not her blood drinking boss or death goddess coworker — Zoe delves deep into the monster world. But her job turns deadly when the careful balance between human and monsters starts to crumble — with Zoe right in the middle.(

Stand alone or series: First in the Shambling Guides series

How did I get this book: Review copy from the publisher

Format (e- or p-): print

Why did I read this book: Because it sounded liked it could be camp, fun, light and funny.

Review:

Zoe is searching for a fresh start and a new job as travel book editor now that she moved back to New York City after her last job ended badly (i.e. in tears, after she had an affair with her boss, who turned out to be married). She comes across a position as a managing editor for a new series of travel guides in a new publishing house. But every time she attempts to apply for the job she stumbles on several people telling her not to, including the owner Phil. As it just so happens, the publishing house is owned by a vampire, most of its employees are other assorted creatures and human Zoe simply doesn’t belong.

Finding out that NY City has a subculture of monsters – the coterie – doesn’t really faze a desperate-for-a-job Zoe that much and desperate-for-a-managing-editor Phil hires her. Now she needs to learn everything she can about this new world and about the coterie so she can do her job properly. But everything turns south when she finds herself in the middle of a deadly fight for the soul of the city itself.

There is so much silliness to Mur Lafferty’s debut novel The Shambling Guide to New York City that I ask myself: do I review this with any degree of seriousness?

Yes, of course I review this seriously. Because even a light romp about a travel writer taking on a job at a shady publishing company in NY ran by a vampire and which caters to a (not so much) underground world needs to have internal logic, make sense and be competently written.

I know that there might a fun book here somewhere. There is after all, humour t be had with zombies turned travel writers, right? But the execution of this story leaves a lot to be desired. It follows an extremely familiar story pattern following a Special Heroine that finds herself in a situation where she Must Learn and who is then Guided by a Wise Personage and everybody seems to “just know” that she is Special. It’s boring.

And then we have the premise itself. I was expecting silly and camp (I mean, come on: travel guides…FOR THE UNDEAD! How awesome could this have been?) but I can’t get over how downright stupid the set-up is. Phil the Vampire decides to create a publishing house that caters for the coterie and sets up said company, rents an awesome office building, hires a bunch of employees (several writers, marketing guy, accountant, etc) but he still doesn’t have a managing editor or An editorial vision for his travel guides. So basically all these other employees are sitting around waiting for a managing editor. And because in the entire world of the coterie ( which, according to the world-building as put forth in the novel, seems to be extensive, densely populated and widespread) there is not a single person who could do this job. ONLY Zoe can be the managing editor, even though she is a human who knows absolutely nothing – zero, nada – about the world she is hired to write about.

This is, quite frankly, the WORST business decision in the history of business decisions ever (and please don’t tell me this is how the publishing world works. My illusions will collapse like a house of cards at my feet).

What this premise does do is to force the story to move a certain way: even after this decision is made Phil still refuses to tell Zoe the things about the coterie she needs to know to do her job because “vampires are secretive”. So Zoe takes upon herself to learn. Cue endless sections of info-dump, ridiculous enigmatic conversations, convenient connections between characters and set-ups in which Zoe comes across fae, goddesses, incubi, etc and does her “research”, thereby also informing the reader about the coterie and justifying the book. All building up to an ending that was extremely rushed, with a lot of hazy action sequences and an end-of-the-world event that felt incredibly small and localised.

At the end of the day everything in here felt extremely contrived and forced to me. The story and characters were not interesting or vivid enough to allow me to get pass any of these problems in order to have fun reading The Shambling Guide to New York City.

Notable Quotes/ Parts:

The bookstore was sandwiched between a dry cleaner’s and a shifty-looking accounting office. Mannegishi’s Tricks wasn’t in the guidebook, but Zoë Norris knew enough about guidebooks to know they often missed the best places.

This clearly was not one of those places.

The store was, to put it bluntly, filthy. It reminded Zoë of an abandoned mechanic’s garage, with grime and grease coating the walls and bookshelves. She pulled her arms in to avoid brushing against anything. Long strips of paint dotted with mold peeled away from the walls as if they could no longer stand to adhere to such filth. Zoë couldn’t blame them. She felt a bizarre desire to wave to them as they bobbed lazily to herald her passing. Her shoes stuck slightly to the floor, making her trek through the store louder than she would have liked.

She always enjoyed looking at cities—even her hometown—through the eyes of a tourist. She owned guidebooks of every city she had visited and used them extensively. It made her usual urban exploration feel more thorough.

It also allowed her to look at the competition, or it had when she’d worked in travel book publishing.

Rating: 4 – BAD

Reading Next: Loki’s Wolves by K.L. Armstrong and M.A. Marr

Buy the Book:

Ebook available for kindle US, kindle UK & nook

Doctor Who Sonic Giveaway

Thea — Mon, 20 May 2013 04:01:18 +0000

Hello everyone! As you may know, we Book Smugglers are pretty big Doctor Who fans. As you may also know, if you’re a fellow Whovian, this year marks the 50th anniversary of the series, and just this weekend the series seven finale aired.

To celebrate all things Doctor – spoiler free as much as possible, of course – we have a big fat time-travelly sonic screwdriver-y giveaway of a library of books and classic Doctor Who DVDs.

The Books

To kick off the anniversary festivities, Crown has released three new Doctor Who books on April 2! You can find out more about each of these three books on Suvudu (plus excerpts, too).

Plague of the Cybermen by Justin Richards

When the Doctor arrives in the 19th-century village of Klimtenburg, he discovers the residents suffering from some kind of plague: a ‘wasting disease’. The victims face a horrible death — but what’s worse, the dead seem to be leaving their graves. The Plague Warriors have returned. The Doctor is confident he knows what’s really happening; he understands where the dead go, and he’s sure the Plague Warriors are just a myth. But as some of the Doctor’s oldest and most terrible enemies start to awaken he realises that maybe — just maybe — he’s misjudged the situation.

Read an excerpt HERE.

Shroud of Sorrow by Tommy Donbavand

It is the day after John F. Kennedy’s assassination and the faces of the dead are everywhere. PC Reg Cranfield sees his recently deceased father in the mists along Totter’s Lane. Reporter Mae Callon sees her late grandmother in a coffee stain on her desk. FBI Special Agent Warren Skeet finds his long-dead partner staring back at him from raindrops on a window pane. Then the faces begin to talk, and scream… and push through into our world. As the alien Shroud begins to feast on the grief of a world in mourning, can the Doctor dig deep enough into his own sorrow to save mankind?

Read an excerpt HERE.

The Dalek Generation by Nicholas Briggs

Sunlight 349 is one of countless Dalek Foundation worlds, planets created to house billions of humanoids suffering from economic hardship. The Doctor arrives at Sunlight 349, suspicious of any world where the Daleks are apparently a force for good — and determined to find out the truth. He soon finds himself in court, facing the ‘Dalek Litigator’. But do his arch enemies really have nothing more to threaten than legal action? The Doctor knows they have a far more sinister plan — but how can he convince those who have lived under the benevolence of the Daleks for a generation? But convince them he must, and soon. For on another Foundation planet, archaeologists have unearthed the most dangerous technology in the universe…

Read an excerpt HERE.

The DVDs

“Doctor Who: The Robots of Death” Special Edition DVD

The TARDIS, carrying the fourth Doctor (Tom Baker) and his new companion Leela, arrives aboard a huge sandminer on a deserted world. The small human crew relies almost entirely on robots to carry out their every task and whim while they mine the planet’s rich minerals. Suddenly, one by one, members of the team start to disappear. The time travelers discover that someone or something is murdering the crew – but, of course, nobody believes it could be the robots.

This digitally remastered special edition of the Doctor Who classic includes a new audio commentary with actors Tom Baker, Louise Jameson, Pamela Salem, and director Michael E. Briant.

“Doctor Who: The Ark in Space” Special Edition DVD

The TARDIS lands on a space station orbiting the earth in the distant future. It’s seemingly deserted, but the Doctor (Fourth Doctor – Tom Baker), Sarah Jane and Harry soon discover that they are not alone. Thousands of humans – the only survivors of the human race – are in cryogenic sleep, and while they’ve slept their ark has been invaded. A parasitic insect race – the Wirrn – have taken control and threaten the very future of mankind.

This digitally re-mastered edition of the Doctor Who classic includes audio commentary with actors Tom Baker, Elisabeth Sladen and producer Philip Hinchcliffe, as well as many other featurettes and a movie version of the story.

“Doctor Who: Shada” DVD

The Doctor (Fourth Doctor – Tom Baker), Romana and K-9 receive a message from an old friend, a retired Time Lord living as a college professor in Cambridge. He’s misplaced an ancient Gallifreyan artifact that could unlock the dark secrets of Shada – lost prison planet of the Time Lords – and unless they find it before the crazed scientist Skagra, every sentient being in the universe is doomed.

This digitally re-mastered edition of the legendary unfinished Doctor Who classic story by Douglas Adams (The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy) includes: the 1993 Anniversary Special “More Than 30 Years in the TARDIS”; the making-of featurette “Taken Out of Time”; “Remembering Nicholas Courtney”; as well as more bonus features.

Giveaway Details:

We have ONE sonic prize package up for grabs! The contest is open to US addresses only and will run until Sunday May 26 at 12:01am. To enter, use the form below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Smugglers’ Stash & News

Thea — Sun, 19 May 2013 19:30:41 +0000

Hello everyone, Happy Sunday!!! Thea here, trying to recover from eating ridiculous amounts of food at yesterday’s Great GoogaMooga festival in Brooklyn.

Ahem. Sorry for the gratuitous food pictures. Now, down to business!

Nebula Awards 2013:

Each year, the Nebula Awards® are voted on and presented by the active members of the Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America, Inc. (SFWA), for outstanding science fiction and fantasy. We were thrilled with the 2012 shortlist of nominees for its inclusivity and diversity (read: not all books by and/or about white dudes) – and here are the final winners:

NOVEL: 2312 by Kim Stanley Robinson (Orbit US; Orbit UK)

NOVELLA: After the Fall, Before the Fall, During the Fall by Nancy Kress (Tachyon)

NOVELLETTE: “Close Encounters” by Andy Duncan (The Pottawatomie Giant & Other Stories)

SHORT STORY: “Immersion” by Aliette de Bodard (Clarkesworld 6/12)

RAY BRADBURY AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING DRAMATIC PRESENTATION: Beasts of the Southern Wild, Benh Zeitlin (director), Benh Zeitlin and Lucy Abilar (writers), (Journeyman/Cinereach/Court 13/Fox Searchlight)

ANDRE NORTON AWARD FOR YOUNG ADULT SCIENCE FICTION AND FANTASY BOOK: Fair Coin, E.C. Myers (Pyr)

2011 DAMON KNIGHT GRAND MASTER AWARD: Gene Wolfe

SOLSTICE AWARD: Carl Sagan and Ginjer Buchanan

KEVIN O’DONNELL JR. SERVICE TO SFWA AWARD: Michael H. Payne

While some of our favorites didn’t win, we are very happy with the range of diversity across the winning titles. Congrats to all the winners! And speaking of winners…

Giveaway Winners:

We have a few giveaways to close out! The winner of the Nebula Showcase is…

Matthew

The winner of a copy of The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey is…

Mary Preston

And the winner of our second Resurrectionist giveaway is…

Lexi

Congratulations to all the winners! You know the drill – contact us directly (contact AT thebooksmugglers DOT com) with your snail mail address and we will get your winnings out to you as soon as possible!

This Week on The Book Smugglers:

On Monday, to celebrate the 50th anniversary and conclusion of the 7th cycle of Doctor Who, we have a big fat giveaway – a Doctor Who library including Plague of the Cybermen by Justin Richards, Shroud of Sorrow by Tommy Donbavand, The Dalek Generation by Nicholas Briggs, plus a Classic Doctor Who DVD Giftpack: “Doctor Who: The Robots of Death,” “Doctor Who: The Ark in Space,” and “Doctor Who: Shada.”

Tuesday, Ana reviews speculative fiction novel The Shambling Guide to New York City by Mur Lafferty.

Then, it’s our second ever Old School Wednesday Readalong! We review and discuss The Naming by Allison Croggon.

on Thursday, we are thrilled to be a part of The Wig in the Window blog tour! We have an interview with Kristen Kittscher, plus Thea’s review of the middle grade mystery novel.

And on Friday, we close out the week with Ana’s review of Loki’s Wolves, meanwhile Thea is over at Kirkus.

And that’s it from us today! Until tomorrow we remain…

Star Trek Into Darkness poster by Paul Shipper (via Blurppy)

~ Your Friendly Neighborhood Book Smugglers

On the Smugglers’ Radar

Ana — Sat, 18 May 2013 15:58:55 +0000

“On The Smugglers’ Radar” is a feature for books that have caught our eye: books we have heard of via other bloggers, directly from publishers, and/or from our regular incursions into the Amazon jungle. Thus, the Smugglers’ Radar was born. Because we want far more books than we can possibly buy or review (what else is new?), we thought we would make the Smugglers’ Radar into a weekly feature – so YOU can tell us which books you have on your radar as well!

On Ana’s Radar:

I saw this book on NetGalley last week and OH MY GOD, the blurb touches on many of my favourite things!

A dauntless heroine coming of age at the turn of the twentieth century confronts the hazards of patriarchy and prejudice, and discovers the unexpected opportunities of World War I

Set in rural North Carolina between the Civil War and the Great War, Love and Lament chronicles the hardships and misfortunes of the Hartsoe family.

Mary Bet, the youngest of nine children, was born the same year that the first railroad arrived in their county. As she matures, against the backdrop of Reconstruction and rapid industrialization, she must learn to deal with the deaths of her mother and siblings, a deaf and damaged older brother, and her father’s growing insanity and rejection of God.

In the rich tradition of Southern gothic literature, John Milliken Thompson transports the reader back in time through brilliant characterizations and historical details, to explore what it means to be a woman charting her own destiny in a rapidly evolving world dominated by men.

This new book from Sarah Beth Durst sounds like it can be loads of fun. And after loving Vessel so much, reading this is a no-brainer.

Lost your way? Your dreams?

Yourself?

Welcome to Lost.

It was supposed to be a small escape. A few hours driving before turning around and heading home. But once you arrive in Lost…well, it’s a place you really can’t leave. Not until you’re Found. Only the Missing Man can send you home. And he took one look at Lauren Chase and disappeared.

So Lauren is now trapped in the town where all lost things go-luggage, keys, dreams, lives-where nothing is permanent, where the locals go feral and where the only people who don’t want to kill her are a handsome wild man called the Finder and a knife-wielding six-year-old girl. The only road out of town is engulfed by an impassable dust storm, and escape is impossible….

Until Lauren decides nothing-and no one-is going to keep her here anymore.

This MG Fantasy series came highly recommended to me and I am intrigued, I even bought the first book already. Anyone read this?

MAX MCDANIELS LIVES a quiet life in the suburbs of Chicago, until the day he stumbles upon a mysterious Celtic tapestry. Many strange people are interested in Max and his tapestry. His discovery leads him to Rowan Academy, a secret school where great things await him.

But dark things are waiting, too. When Max learns that priceless artworks and gifted children are disappearing, he finds himself in the crossfire of an ancient struggle between good and evil. To survive, he’ll have to rely on a network of agents and mystics, the genius of his roommate, and the frightening power awakening within him.

Ok, so. DEEP BREATHS. I hate the tagline on the cover – it sounds super cheesy and I will put it down to a marketing choice because the blurb, the fact that this is Norse Mythology AND the author make me want to give it a try.

Fans of Neil Gaiman’s American Gods and Holly Black’s The Curse Workers will embrace this richly drawn, Norse-mythology-infused alternate world: the United States of Asgard.

Seventeen-year-old Soren Bearskin is trying to escape the past. His father, a famed warrior, lost himself to the battle-frenzy and killed thirteen innocent people. Soren cannot deny that berserking is in his blood–the fevers, insomnia, and occasional feelings of uncontrollable rage haunt him. So he tries to remain calm and detached from everyone at Sanctus Sigurd’s Academy. But that’s hard to do when a popular, beautiful girl like Astrid Glyn tells Soren she dreams of him. That’s not all Astrid dreams of–the daughter of a renowned prophetess, Astrid is coming into her own inherited abilities.

When Baldur, son of Odin and one of the most popular gods in the country, goes missing, Astrid sees where he is and convinces Soren to join her on a road trip that will take them to find not only a lost god, but also who they are beyond the legacy of their parents and everything they’ve been told they have to be.

On Thea’s Radar:

I feel like it has been a while since we’ve done one of these! OK. So first up, a psychological thriller that sounds pretty good:

She thought the evil lived outside the walls.

She was wrong.

In the Community, life seems perfect. The members of this isolated suburban development have thrived under Pioneer, the charismatic leader who saved them from their sad, damaged lives.

Lyla Hamilton and her parents moved here following the 9/11 terrorist attacks, looking to escape the evil in the world. Now seventeen, Lyla knows certain facts are not to be questioned:

Pioneer is her leader.
Will is her Intended.
The end of the world is near.

Like Noah before him, Pioneer has been told of the imminent destruction of humanity. He says his chosen must arm themselves and prepare to fight off the unchosen people, who will surely seek refuge in the compound’s underground fortress-the Silo.

Lyla loves her family and friends, but given the choice, she prefers painting to target practice. And lately she’d rather think about a certain boy outside the development than plan for married life in the Silo with Will. But as the end of days draws near, she will have to pick up a gun, take a side, and let everyone know where she stands.

Then there’s this historical mystery novel about the spread of cholera (and a book with a truly wonderful subtitle – “A Mystery of London, the Blue Death, and a Boy Called Eel”):

Eel has troubles of his own: As an orphan and a “mudlark,” he spends his days in the filthy River Thames, searching for bits of things to sell. He’s being hunted by Fisheye Bill Tyler, and a nastier man never walked the streets of London. And he’s got a secret that costs him four precious shillings a week to keep safe.

But even for Eel, things aren’t so bad until that fateful August day in 1854-the day the Great Trouble begins. Mr. Griggs, the tailor, is the first to get sick. Soon it’s clear that the deadly cholera-the “blue death”-has come to Broad Street.

Everyone believes that cholera is spread through poisonous air. But one man, Dr. John Snow, has a different theory. As the epidemic surges, it’s up to Eel and his best friend Florrie to gather evidence to prove Dr. Snow’s theory-that cholera is spread through water-before the entire neighborhood is wiped out.

Next up, a Victorian ghost story:

A supernatural romance about the powers that lie in the shadows of the mind, perfect for fans of Sarah Rees Brennan, Alyxandra Harvey, and Libba Bray.

At the turn of the twentieth century, Spiritualism and séances are all the rage-even in the scholarly town of Cambridge, England. While mediums dupe the grief-stricken, a group of local fringe scientists seeks to bridge the gap to the spirit world by investigating the dark corners of the human mind.

Each running from a shadowed past, Kate, Asher, and Elsie take refuge within the walls of Summerfield College. But their peace is soon shattered by the discovery of a dead body nearby. Is this the work of a flesh-and-blood villain, or is something otherworldly at play? This unlikely trio must illuminate what the scientists have not, and open a window to secrets taken to the grave-or risk joining the spirit world themselves.

Of course, what would a radar post be without at least one YA dystopian SFF novel? I’ve been meaning to try Anna Jarzab’s writing for a while now:

Fans of Matched, Across the Universe, and The Hunger Games will love this captivating tale of rebellion and romance that spans parallel worlds.

Everything repeats.
You. Your best friend. Every person you know.
Many worlds, many lives-infinite possibilities.
Welcome to the multiverse.

Sixteen-year-old Sasha Lawson has only ever known one small, ordinary life. When she was young, she loved her grandfather’s stories of parallel worlds, inhabited by girls who looked like her but led totally different lives. Sasha never believed such worlds were real-until now, when she finds herself thrust into one against her will.

To prevent imminent war, Sasha must slip into the life of an alternate version of herself, a princess who has vanished on the eve of her arranged marriage. If Sasha succeeds in fooling everyone, she will be returned home; if she fails, she’ll be trapped in another girl’s life forever. As time runs out, Sasha finds herself torn between two worlds, two lives, and two young men vying for her love-one who knows her secret, and one who believes she’s someone she’s not.

And look! The new book in Rachel Caine’s ongoing Revivalist series has a cover!

In New York Times bestselling author Rachel Caine’s latest Revivalist novel, Bryn Davis’s problems quickly turn from dead to worse…

Already addicted to the pharmaceutical drug that keeps her body from decomposing, Bryn has to stop a secretive group of rich and powerful investors from eliminating the existing Returné addicts altogether. To ensure their plan to launch a new, military-grade strain of nanotech, the investors’ undead assassin—who just happens to be the ex-wife of Bryn’s lover Patrick—is on the hunt for anyone that stands in their way.

And while Bryn’s allies aren’t about to go down without a fight, the secret she’s been keeping threatens to put those closest to her in even more danger. Poised to become a monster that her own side—and her own lover—will have to trap and kill, Bryn needs to find the cure to have any hope of preserving the lives of her friends, and her own dwindling humanity…

Zombies x Werewolves x Wes Craven comparison = SOLD.

Kate Grable is geeked out to shadow the county medical examiner as part of her school’s premed program. But after he’s arrested for murder, she’s left with the bodies. And when Kate’s brother, Jonah, stumbles upon a dead gamer girl, Kate realizes that the zombie epidemic she cured last fall was only the beginning of the weirdness taking over her town. Someone-or something-is murdering kids. Something really hairy. And strong. Possibly with claws.

Could it be werewolves, like Jonah and his dorktastic friends think? Kate’s supposed to be a butt-kicking, zombie-killing genius…but if she can’t figure out what’s behind the freakish attacks, the victims-or what’s left of them-are going to keep piling up.

“Readers will get a kick out of this book that reads like a Wes Craven movie. The plot may be a little far-fetched, but the ride is so much fun it doesn’t much matter… what’s not to love?”-Kirkus Reviews

“Kate combines the smarts of Veronica Mars with the attitude of Buffy… a fast-paced read.”-School Library Journal

“Entirely enjoyable.”-Publishers Weekly

And that’s it from us! What books do you have on YOUR radar?

Book Review: The Resurrectionist by E.B. Hudspeth

Thea — Sat, 18 May 2013 00:39:35 +0000

Title: The Resurrectionist

Author: E.B. Hudspeth

Genre: Historical, Horror, Speculative Fiction

Publisher: Quirk Books
Publication Date: May 2013
Hardcover: 208 Pages

Philadelphia, the late 1870s.

A city of gas lamps, cobblestone streets, and horse-drawn carriages—and home to the controversial surgeon Dr. Spencer Black. The son of a grave robber, young Dr. Black studies at Philadelphia’s esteemed Academy of Medicine, where he develops an unconventional hypothesis: What if the world’s most celebrated mythological beasts—mermaids, minotaurs, and satyrs—were in fact the evolutionary ancestors of humankind?

The Resurrectionist offers two extraordinary books in one. The first is a fictional biography of Dr. Spencer Black, from a childhood spent exhuming corpses through his medical training, his travels with carnivals, and the mysterious disappearance at the end of his life. The second book is Black’s magnum opus: The Codex Extinct Animalia, a Gray’s Anatomy for mythological beasts—dragons, centaurs, Pegasus, Cerberus—all rendered in meticulously detailed anatomical illustrations. You need only look at these images to realize they are the work of a madman. The Resurrectionist tells his story.

Stand alone or series: Standalone

How did I get this book: Review Copy from the Publisher

Format (e- or p-): Print

Why did I read this book: I’m a fan of Quirk Books – I like their blend of novelty geek-friendly books, and the past couple of full-fledged SFF titles I’ve read from them (Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, Bedbugs) have been wonderful. So, when I learned of The Resurrectionist – part fictional biography, part illustrated codex – I was delighted. When we were offered the chance to interview E.B. Hudspeth and feature image reveals from the book, I became even more excited. Needless to say, I’ve been looking forward to reading this book.

Review:

September 1869

What a miracle it is to be human! I endeavor to write this account of my life, teh chronicling of my study and experience with the Academy of Medicine here in Philadelphia – not my place of birth. It was not by my choosing that I would pursue a career in medicine – this is a matter of fate, God, destiny, or some other weapon of man.

Born in 1851, young Spencer Black grew up without a mother, with a scientist grave robber – or “Resurrectionist” – of a father. Thus, from a young age, Spencer was well acquainted with Death.

Despite his macabre beginnings, however, Spencer’s studies and career as a doctor are bright. Quickly, he makes a name for himself as a brilliant scientific mind with a penchant for big ideas and an unparalleled success rate. He weds a woman whom he loves, and starts a family. Every possible future in Spencer’s life is bright and shining with potential.

But then, as it happens so often in the canon of the mad scientist, death and obsession possess young Spencer, twisting his idealism and passion into something tortured and dark. After losing one of his children, Spencer divers ever-deeper into his research of mutations and the human form, leading to gruesome experiments and his expulsion from the ranks of respected scientists. His theory that the supernatural creatures of myths such as satyrs and sirens are actually real and predecessors of modern humans – that mutations are a hearkening back to these forms and steps on the evolutionary ladder – is emphatically rejected by his former colleagues. His Codex Extinct Animalia is met with universal criticism, and only a scant handful of copies are printed. Reduced to a sideshow in a travelling circus, Spencer continues his crusade to beat death and correct mutation – a mission that Spencer completes, but at the ultimate cost.

Part fictional biography, part illustrated scientific field guide to monsters of legend, The Resurrectionist is, conceptually, a pretty groovy book. As a package, with its larger trim size and two-color illustrations (not to mention sketches throughout the biography section), The Resurrectionist is gorgeously, deliciously creepy in its composition. The biggest strength and draw to this series are these carefully considered and labeled illustrations of fierce mythological and fantastical creatures. In Doctor Black’s notes, he explains how the frail human bones could support the towering, disproportionate weight of an elephant head and tusks (Ganesha Orientis), how a mermaid would have evolved from an air-breathing mammal to respirating through gills while still possessing a human ribcage (Siren Oceanus), or how a horse with wings would need air sacs throughout its body to breathe and fly (Pegasus Gorgonis). Each of the creatures within Black’s Codex are drawn with care, featuring multiple pages and sketches of musculature, bones, and written scientific explanation – truly, this is a type of Grey’s Anatomy for the macabre. To me, these sketches are the heart and soul of the book and infinitely more compelling than the book’s other half…

Which brings me to The Story. In actuality, Doctor Spencer Black’s biography is shockingly brief. We’re talking 65 pages brief. Novella brief. The length isn’t really the issue, though – the problem with the biography section is how frankly mundane it is. Spencer Black’s story is one that we’ve heard before; it’s the story of Victor Frankenstein, of Doctor Moreau, Faustus, and Rotwang. It is a trope that I love when it is done correctly – see Rick Yancey’s masterful Monstrumologist books, or Kenneth Oppel’s This Dark Endeavor – but The Resurrectionist, unfortunately isn’t quite in the same league. Narrated in a decidedly modern voice reflecting and piecing together Spencer’s story with letters and journal entries from Doctor Black (and his older brother Bernard), the biography itself feels scattered and inconsistent. The voice of Spencer in his letters and journals feels slightly too contemporary for the late 19th century (made all the more glaring with the modern voice of the biographer) and the familiar progression of Doctor Black’s demise by hubris is predictable and lacking the necessary elegance and uniqueness to make this part of the book truly memorable.

These criticisms said, The Resurrectionist is much more than just a 70 page fictitious biography – it is a work of art and a gorgeously composed package, and for that reason The Resurrectionist is certainly worth the read. And, while I’m giving the novella portion a hard time, at least it is a quick and absorbing enough read which lends important perspective to the drawings that dominate the page count (each of which are far more compelling than the writing). Especially that last drawing, Spencer Black’s piece de resistance: The Harpy. Oh, trust me – the Harpy is GOOD.

In other words: come for the killer premise, stay for the Codex Extinct Animalia. Recommended, albeit with some reservations.

Notable Quotes/Parts: We have NINE (that’s right, nine) exclusive images from the book, detailing the gorgeously creepy Sirenus Oceanus (aka, the Mermaid).

Check out Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3 of our image reveals. PLUS, enter to win a copy of The Resurrectionist HERE.

Rating: 6 – Good, with some truly amazing artwork

Reading Next: The End Games by T. Michael Martin

Buy the Book:

(click on the links to purchase)

Ebook available for kindle US, kindle UK, nook, google play, kobo & iBookstore

Over at Kirkus: A Stranger in Olondria by Sofia Samatar

Ana — Fri, 17 May 2013 16:20:14 +0000

It’s Friday, which means we are over at Kirkus! Today, Ana reviews A Stranger in Olondria by Sofia Samatar out from the lovely Small Beer Press.

Unfortunately, this one did not work for me and I talk about how sometimes writing those reviews (“It’s me, not the book”) is hard. Go HERE to read.

The Resurrectionist Reveal & Giveaway (Part 3)

Thea — Fri, 17 May 2013 04:01:05 +0000

Hello everyone and Happy Friday! Over the course of three weeks, we’re doing something a little different to celebrate the release of hybrid fictional biography/codex of the strange book, The Resurrectionist: The Lost Work of Dr. Spencer Black by E.B. Hudspeth.

Each Friday, we’ll reveal an exclusive set of images from Doctor Black’s magnum opus, The Codex Extinct Animalia – a Gray’s Anatomy for mythological beasts (including dragons, centaurs and the like). Our mythological beast of focus is the Mermaid (Siren Oceanus) – we’ll unveil 3 series’ of 3 images each week, leading up to our review of the book on May 17 (that’s today!). Each week, we’ll also be giving away a poster and final copy of The Resurrectionist.

Check out the Week 1 image reveal HERE and the Week 2 image reveal HERE.

Without further ado, we are very pleased to give you three more exclusive images of…

Siren Oceanus

About The Mermaid:

From author E.B. Hudspeth (read his earlier thoughts on the mermaid HERE and HERE):

When I started The Resurrectionist I knew I couldn’t leave out the mermaid. I never did like mermaids too much until I started researching some of the history. Though I only focused on the anatomy of one particular species of ocean mermaid, I wrote a little about some of the other many potential variations.

The mermaid remains one of the creatures that you might be able to draw a line to explain how it could have actually evolved. Given what we know about the importance of display in terms of mating, defense and so on, one might argue that a species of primate reverted to the water but maintained its human appearance as a means of attracting prey. Countless animals evolve with false images or shapes on their bodies for the sole purpose of fooling their prey. So why not believe in mermaids?

About the Book:

Philadelphia. The late 1870s.

A city of cobblestone sidewalks and horse-drawn carriages. Home to the famous anatomist and surgeon Dr. Spencer Black. The son of a “resurrectionist” (aka grave robber), Dr. Black studied at Philadelphia’s esteemed Academy of Medicine, where he develops an unconventional hypothesis: What if the world’s most celebrated mythological beasts—mermaids, minotaurs, and satyrs— were in fact the evolutionary ancestors of humankind?

The Resurrectionist offers two extraordinary books in one. The first is a fictional biography of Dr. Spencer Black, from his humble beginnings to the mysterious disappearance at the end of his life. The second book is Black’s magnum opus: The Codex Extinct Animalia, a Gray’s Anatomy for mythological beasts—dragons, centaurs, Pegasus, Cerberus—all rendered in meticulously detailed black-and-white anatomical illustrations. You need only look at these images to realize they are the work of a madman. The Resurrectionist tells his story.

Check out a quick interview with the author below, as well as the official book trailer for more about the book:

If you’re still not satisfied, you can read more about the book on the official page HERE. And you can read more about E.B. Hudspeth on his website, too.

The Giveaway:

This is our FINAL giveaway of a copy of The Resurrectionist and a poster. This second contest is open to addresses in the US and will run until Thursday, May 26 at 12:01am EST. To enter, use the form below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

GOOD LUCK! And make sure to stick around as later today Thea reviews The Resurrectionist!

Book Review: Doll Bones by Holly Black

Ana — Thu, 16 May 2013 10:30:13 +0000

Title: Doll Bones

Written by Holly Black

Genre: Fantasy, Horror, Middle Grade

Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books / Doubleday Childrens
Publication Date: May 2013
Hardcover: 256 Pages

Zach, Poppy and Alice have been friends for ever. They love playing with their action figure toys, imagining a magical world of adventure and heroism. But disaster strikes when, without warning, Zach’s father throws out all his toys, declaring he’s too old for them. Zach is furious, confused and embarrassed, deciding that the only way to cope is to stop playing . . . and stop being friends with Poppy and Alice. But one night the girls pay Zach a visit, and tell him about a series of mysterious occurrences. Poppy swears that she is now being haunted by a china doll – who claims that it is made from the ground-up bones of a murdered girl. They must return the doll to where the girl lived, and bury it. Otherwise the three children will be cursed for eternity . .

Stand alone or series: Stand alone

How did I get this book: Bought

Format (e- or p-): eBook (Kindle)

Why did I read this book: I like Holly Black’s books (although I still need to catch up) but it was the creepy cover and the fact that this was middle grade that made me want to read it.

Review:

Zach, Poppy and Alice are friends who have known each other for ever. The three love coming up with awesome stories and to play them out with their action figure toys. Their current story follows pirate William the Blade and his ally the thief Lady Jaye on a quest for The Queen, “played” by an ancient china doll. When they reach a point when William the Blade is about to find out the truth about his past, the unthinkable happens: Zach’s father throws away all of his action figures because according to him, at 12, Zach should no longer be playing make-believe.

Zach is furious but also ashamed and confused and instead of talking to his friends, he closes himself off and stops playing with them altogether. But then one night the girls show up at his house saying Poppy has been contacted by the ghost of The Queen – who claims that her soul is trapped in the china doll which has been made from the bones of her murdered body. The only way to free her (as well as the kids from its haunting) is to find where the girl used to live and bury the doll.

Adventure ensues as Zach, Poppy and Alice run away from home and go on their – this time, real – Quest.

Doll Bones was not quite what I was expecting. I thought this was going to be a good old romp with a strong horror bend. And in a way it was: there is a lot of fun adventure to be had and the doll is genuinely creepy especially since, for most of the book, we (and the characters) are not really sure if this is all happening in reality or only in their imagination.

But those aspects are almost bare foundation from which the author builds a story with a stronger focus on the relationship between the three kids and the importance of storytelling and creativity. Above all, I feel this is a tale about three kids on that threshold between childhood and adolescence and one that is deftly, thoughtfully handled by Holly Black here.

Zach’s father’s thoughtless action of throwing away his toys propels the story in a very interesting way. It is an outside force that informs internal conflict: adults telling kids they can be no longer kids and that their hobby of choice is childish and undesirable. The kids have to grasp this idea, and choose whether they internalise it or question it. There is a very interesting conflation here between the toys and their ability to continue with their game. Zach for example, believes he can’t play without them. But are the toys an essential part of their game or just tools? Similarly, Poppy, Zach and Alice are in that moment that growing up is just around the corner but not for all them at the same time or in the exact same way – Poppy for example is still desperately trying to hold on to what they have now, whereas Alice and Zach are almost eager to embrace change. Do finding new ways of interacting with the world, becoming interested in different pursuits as well as forming friendships with other people mean that their interaction need to change or that their friendship is no longer meaningful?

The answers to those questions are not clear-cut and in the end there is a feeling that things will have to inevitably change but not necessarily in a fundamental way. Storytelling, creativity, role-playing is something that can be equally important to adults and teens as it is to children. In addition to all of this, each kid’s family is also extremely important in how they interact with the world and I thought really interesting how each kid had a different background which created a more dynamic and diverse story. I really appreciated that Zach’s father’s action is addressed in the story very nicely and with unexpected poignancy.

In the end, Doll Bones turned out to be not as creepy as expected but more thoughtful than I was hoping. All in all, a very good read.

Notable Quotes/Parts:

“No, you’re right,” Poppy said, her voice speeding up and getting louder, like she was afraid she was going to be cut off before she got it all out. “It’s not fair. We had a story, and our story was important. And I hate that both of you can just walk away and take part of my story with you and not even care. I hate that you can do what you’re supposed to do and I can’t. I hate that you’re going to leave me behind. I hate that everyone calls it growing up, but it seems like dying. It feels like each of you is being possessed and I’m next.”

Rating: 7 – Very Good

Reading Next: A Stranger in Olondria by Sofia Samatar

Buy the Book:

(click on the links to purchase)

Ebook available for kindle UK, nook, kobo & iBookstore

Old School Wednesdays: The Guardian of Isis by Monica Hughes

Thea — Wed, 15 May 2013 16:50:29 +0000

Old School Wednesdays Old School Wednesdays is a weekly Book Smuggler feature. We came up with the idea towards the end of 2012, when both Ana and Thea were feeling exhausted from the never-ending inundation of New and Shiny (and often over-hyped) books. What better way to snap out of a reading fugue than to take a mini-vacation into the past?

Logo designed by the wonderful KMont

Today, it’s Thea’s turn with a review of The Guardian of Isis by Monica Hughes!

Title: The Guardian of Isis

Author: Monica Hughes

Genre: Science Fiction, Young Adult

Publisher: Hamish Hamilton
Publication Date: 1981
Paperback: 140 Pages (first edition)

Years have passed on Isis, but life has gone backward, not forward. Under their leader, Mark London, the settlers have abandoned the technological knowledge of their forefathers. Upper Isis is now a forbidden zone, and the history of the first inhabitants from Earth has been replaced by myth. But one inquiring young man yearns to know the truth, and soon he gets the chance to find it.

Stand alone or series: Book 2 in the Isis Trilogy

How did I get this book: Bought

Format (e- or p-): Print Book

Why did I read this book: Just a couple of weeks ago, I discovered the Isis trilogy by Monica Hughes (this, after having read loved her SF dystopian novel Invitation to the Game). I instantly devoured and fell in love with Keeper of the Isis Light, so moving on to book 2 was a no brainer.

Review:

It has been decades since the first human colonists arrived on the distant planet Isis, bringing with them their hopes and dreams for new life on a system far away from the overpopulated, crowded and dying Earth. It has been years since Olwen, the keeper of the Isis light, and her Guardian have left the colonists on their own, withdrawing to Isis’s great mountainous heights after feeling the pain of rejection and heartbreak.

Three subsequent generations have been born on Isis since those early first days, and with the passage of time, the colonists have quickly lost their knowledge and their science. Only a few of the original colonists – the Firsts – remain alive, including Isis’s president, Mark London. Under the President’s decades-long rule, Isis’s history has been rewritten; the colonists journey from the stars treated as a legend, technology replaced with superstition and magic, the memory of Olwen transformed into a hideous bogeyman that comes to take unruly men and women to their deaths and the Guardian elevated to God-status.

Jody, the youngest of the Thirds (therefore of higher rank and importance than all of the Fourth Generation), has always questioned the things that the President and his Council members have called Taboo. Irrepressibly curious, with a head full of dreams and inventions, Jody dares to defy the ways of his people by asking the question: why. As the threat of very real danger faces the people of Isis, it is Jody’s curiosity and tenacity that will spur him beyond the valley he has known his entire life, to seek the fabled Guardian, to uncover the truth of Isis’s past, and safeguard his people’s future.

The second book in Monica Hughes’ YA science fiction Isis trilogy, The Guardian of Isis is a fascinating departure from the first book (which was much more of a traditional futuristic science-heavy sci-fi novel). After the heartbreaking events of Keeper of the Isis Light, the second installment leaps forward three generations, and examines the power of denial and the fluidity – the impermanence! – of history and knowledge. In fact, Guardian is a dystopian novel, in which a dictator has changed the world to his liking, erasing history and molding the future of his fellow settlers in order to cover up a past that is too painful for him to bear. I have no problem imagining the wide-eyed, idealistic Mark from the first book turning into the bitter old man of this second novel, and his motivations for burying the truth are resonant and believable.

What I’m not entirely convinced of, however, is how quickly all this knowledge and history has been lost to the people of Isis. Others of Mark’s generation are still alive, including protagonist Jody’s namesake (remember him? The young boy of the first novel?) and grandfather. Would so many others of Mark’s generation go along with his lies? And WHY would they on such a hostile planet, when their technology could help so easily make their lives better? These others also would have come from Earth, would know first hand what technology is real and what stories are false, and the uniform compliance with Mark’s newfangled Luddite society is questionable – although perhaps within the realm of reason, especially when you take into consideration the elder Jody’s mysterious crippling injuries (I get the feeling that President London has killed and maimed anyone opposing his power).

Worldbuilding and premise aside, The Guardian of Isis also invests heavily in the strength of its protagonist, Jody N’Kumo. Curious, intelligent, and ever-questioning rules that don’t seem to make sense, Jody is an instantly likable, relatable character. As this IS a dystopia, Jody is the classic dystopian hero – challenging the established order and unwilling to take things at face value, especially when lives are at stake. Refreshingly, unlike the wave of new YA dystopian novels, Jody’s struggles are focused SOLELY on the crisis at hand; the threat of imminent doom is very real, the opposition from the President a dangerous and terrifying thing. (Also refreshingly, there is no romance – because sometimes saving your people from a willfully ignorant death is all you have time for as a protagonist) I also very much appreciate that Jody is a black protagonist of mixed race, especially in a YA science fiction novel (one written in 1981, no less), although I’m a little disappointed that there isn’t any further examination of race or gender in this book. In particular, we hear many times that women in President London’s new world order have been reduced to little more than servants with no power of their own – Jody frequently reflects on how he’s glad he is not a woman and how bitter his Aunties and mother are – but we never really see this patriarchy challenged or discussed in any deeper way. Perhaps that will be covered in the next book?

While this second novel isn’t as grand or rewarding as Keeper of the Isis Light, it’s still a very, very good book and one that ends on a hopeful note. Will Mark be able to lead his people out of their sheltered valley and from the mantle of ignorance and oppression? I’m happy that I already have Pedlar of Isis on my TBR – so I’ll soon find out how it all ends for our intrepid planetary colonists.

Definitely recommended.

Rating: 7 – Very Good

Reading Next: The Resurrectionist by E.B. Hudspeth

Buy the Book:

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Book Review: Nation by Terry Pratchett

Ana — Tue, 14 May 2013 15:16:37 +0000

Title: Nation

Author: Terry Pratchett

Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult

Publisher: Harper Collins/Corgi
Publication Date: 2008
Paperback: 432 Pages

Alone on a desert island — everything and everyone he knows and loves has been washed away in a storm — Mau is the last surviving member of his nation. He’s completely alone — or so he thinks until he finds the ghost girl. She has no toes, wears strange lacy trousers like the grandfather bird, and gives him a stick that can make fire.
Daphne, sole survivor of the wreck of the Sweet Judy, almost immediately regrets trying to shoot the native boy. Thank goodness the powder was wet and the gun only produced a spark. She’s certain her father, distant cousin of the Royal family, will come and rescue her but it seems, for now, that all she has for company is the boy and the foul-mouthed ship’s parrot, until other survivors arrive to take refuge on the island. Together, Mau and Daphne discover some remarkable things (including how to milk a pig, and why spitting in beer is a good thing), and start to forge a new nation.

Encompassing themes of death and nationhood, Terry Pratchett’s new novel is, as can be expected, extremely funny, witty and wise. Mau’s ancestors have something to teach us all. Mau just wishes they would shut up about it and let him get on with saving everyone’s lives!

Stand alone or series: Stand alone

How did I get this book: Bought

Format (e- or p-): Print

Why did I read this book: I have been slowly but surely becoming a huge fan of Terry Pratchett. After reading and loving The Wee Free Men, I asked for more recommendations. Nation was one of the books brought up as book that was also extremely political. I had to check it out. I read it last week, when I was on holidays because I wanted a SURE thing after recent reads were so disappointing.

Review:

Wow.

I was forewarned by friends and readers. I have read – and loved – a couple of other books by the author. So it’s not like I didn’t know the odds this would be good but this book? It blew my mind away. In its epilogue, Terry Pratchett says:

Thinking. This book contains some.

And that’s true: this is one of the most think-y books I have ever read. I loved it with every fibre of my being.

Nation is a book of ideas. Its main theme, that of construction and creation: the construction of a home, of a family, of rules, tradition and religion. It is about those building blocks of civilisation itself and of individuals, in a way that is both extremely rational and enormously emotional. Writing that line just now makes me realise how weird that might sound to those who haven’t read the book. Above all it makes me think about how hard it is to pull something like this off and to keep a balance between what drives a story and the story itself without making a book about ideas, a book that is solely about ideas. If that makes any sense at all – I am finding it extremely hard to write this review because how do you describe perfection? Especially when it’s so affecting?

Nation is a book about creation.

It starts with the destruction of everything one of its main characters knows.

There is a small island in the Great Southern Pelagic Ocean in a world very much like ours (but not quite) where young boys go through a ceremony where they shed their boy-souls to gain their man-souls. Mau is on the Boy’s Island and is about to cross over to the main island to become a man when the big wave comes. He survives it but when he goes ashore to his home, to the Nation, he discovers everything he knows and everyone he loves has been washed away. His first action is to build a spear: “Without fire and a spear, you could never hope to be a man, wasn’t that right?”.
But soulless Mau is all alone and nobody answers him.

All alone that is, but for Daphne, a young girl who was aboard the Sweet Judy ship, whose wrecked remains are now part of the Nation. They are different because their background, their language, their traditions are dissimilar. They are equals because they share this tragedy and because they are both thinkers. Together, they work to survive and to create a home for those who slowly start to come to the Nation in search of a haven after unspeakable tragedy.

First comes an old man, a priest who wants things to be kept as they always were and whose unquestioned belief in their Gods remains unshaken. With him, a young sickly woman with a newborn baby who is barely moving and can hardly feed. Everybody’s immediate response is to fall back into the roles they have always known: if the mother cannot feed her baby, the only one who can help is of course, the other female, Daphne. Except Daphne – a young girl raised by a grandmother who believes young ladies should be Proper – doesn’t even know how babies are made. Mau does what must be done in order to keep the baby alive. Hilarity ensues when he milks a wild pig but also: enlightenment for both Daphne and Mau. Women are not born knowing how to care for babies. Things that appear deep seated gender-led knowledge are not. A man’s soul is not created magically because one crosses from one island to another.

So, first comes destruction. Then, deconstruction: little by little, both characters observe this new world and question the old one in search of answers. It is a kind of stripping down to one’s very core in order to understand. But it is a stripping down without letting go of the past completely because the rules are there. So Mau is walking around the island and he hears the Grandfathers’ voices telling him what to do, to follow their traditions, not question their religion, otherwise there is no order. As much as Daphne abhors her grandmother’s voice inside her head telling her to be Quiet and Proper, she keeps listening to it non-stop. Motivation counts too and Mau is angry. He is angry at the Gods and that leads him to question their very existence. Daphne is not moved by religion at all but by Science. There is sympathy and compassion toward other characters and those find their own balance and their own way of surviving.

In a way, a wave came but they are not completely marooned because they have Tradition. But does Tradition serve them at this time of need or is that now an impediment? How important is it to keep going as it “has always been”? Or is this yet another misconception about the world? Slowly: the understanding that those are internalised voices and that questioning is good. To understand the HOW is all the more important: history becomes religion becomes tradition becomes internal rules living inside one’s head.

Then, forging and building. Mau and Daphne build themselves up and their thoughts are the roots on which they build a new Nation. And they do that by means of Scientific Method.

And that is accomplished in a story that is moving, sad, hopeful and funny. Mau and Daphne have hilarious misunderstandings before they lean to communicate. Their community is built and deep connections are formed between people. A new Nation is born out of the old and people still have parties, drink beer, laugh, love, pray and look at the sky.

Also: parallel universes.

I don’t know how my reading of this particular book has been affected by the fact that I am new to Terry Pratchett’s main oeuvre but this to me, was simply wonderful. Interestingly enough, limited as my Terry Pratchett experience might be, I found Nation to be slightly different in tone (not as funny) to the other books I have read from the author but exactly the same in how smart it is.

Nation is a rich and intricate novel. Yes ,it does have an obvious message about the power and importance of thinking, but this never overwhelms the characters or the story. I understood this very well when I started crying when the book was over. Plus, the epilogue is a wonderful gift from an author who truly understands his readers.

This book spoke to me in a deeply personal level and I can’t recommend it enough.

Notable Quotes/Parts:

“That’s what the gods are! An answer that will do! Because there’s food to be caught and babies to be born and life to be lived and so there is no time for big, complicated, and worrying answers! Please give us a simple answer, so that we don’t have to think, because if we think, we might find answers that don’t fit the way we want the world to be.”

“They didn’t know why these things were funny. Sometimes you laugh because you’ve got no more room for crying. Sometimes you laugh because table manners on a beach are funny. And sometimes you laugh because you’re alive, when you really shouldn’t be.”

Rating: 10 – Fantastic

Reading Next: Doll Bones by Holly Black

Buy the Book:

(click on the links to purchase)

Ebook available for kindle UK & iBookstore