Friday 20 July 2012

February

Continuing with my Tamora Pierce Binge, I discovered a whole new series that I hadn't previously read, and I ended up loving it. Again, it's aimed at Young Adults, but displays the same quality of writing that I have come to expect from Pierce, and I would heartily recommend them to anyone - YA or not.

The Magic in the WeavingThe Power in the StormThe Fire in the ForgingThe Healing in the Vine - Tamora Pierce
*****

Magic StepsStreet MagicCold FireShatterglass - Tamora Pierce
*****

The Affinity Bridge - George Mann
*
I bought this one because of the steam-punk premise, hoping it was going to be similar to the wonderful Parasol Protectorate series, and boy was I disappointed. Cliche, predictable and with completely two-dimensional characters. The protagonist is annoying and the female lead useless. Don't bother.

The Enchantment Emporium - Tanya Huff
*****
A wonderful find - a proper grown-up fantasy with engaging characters... Just about everything I said about Tamora Pierce also holds true for Huff, but pitched at the adult market, not YA.

Grave Witch - Kalayna Price
**
This is a fun little book that makes good holiday reading. It's a trashy paperback that I devoured on an aeroplane, but would be unlikely to re-read much. A silly and fun book about modern day magic and a witch  doing unofficial work for the police. It's in the same vein as Jim Butcher's Dresden files, but with a female protagonist, and a lot less misogyny. If you want a quick paperback fix, I'd recommend this over Butcher any day.

The Lady Of the Rivers - Phillipa Gregory
***
Another Phillipa Gregory that I'd spent a long time putting off reading, for no apparent reason. A good, solid read from a great author.

Melting Stones - Tamora Pierce
****

The Will of the Empress - Tamora Pierce
*****



January

January saw me diving into a Tamora Pierce spin. Though mostly based at the young adult market, I grew up with these books and I still like to dip into them. And by "dip into them" I mean re-read the whole lot in one go and obsessively read every new one I can find.
I love to watch the development of Pierce's prose style over the books, as well as the development of the worlds she creates, but it's her heroines that make her stand out from... just about every other author I know of who writes for YA. Each one is different - it's not just the same woman recycled over again; they are "strong" women, by which I mean they are well developed characters who can stand on their own two feet and provide wonderful role models for growing girls, but they aren't without their flaws. They are real people,  who don't fit into little cliched boxes that a lot of fantasy writers seem to post women into. Her men are also real characters too, and she writes a wonderfully convincing and enthralling world that I want to go back to time and time again.

Terrier / Bloodhound / Mastiff - Tamora Pierce
Re-read / Re-read / ****

Song of the Lioness Quartet
Re-read

Immortals Quartet
Re-read

Protector of the Small Quartet
Re- read

Trickster's Choice / Trickster's Queen
Re-read