Chaos Choreography

Title: Chaos Choreography

Author: Seanan McGuire [Website Bio 1][Website Bio 2][Website Bio 3][Facebook][Twitter]

Publisher: DAW

Series: InCryptid, Bk 5

ISBN: 9781101602423

Obtained: Library ebook copy

Why this book?:

I've enjoyed this series, needed an ebook to read, and the timing finally worked out.

Comments:

Verity has a second chance at dance, although she had already decided her cryptology and helping people - humans and cryptids alike - was more important.  But she can't always wonder what if, so she pulls her cover identity 'Valerie' on and heads down with husband (under an alias of his own).  But things are off from the beginning, and Verity finds a mess (murder does tend to be) larger than just she and Dominic can handle.  So her dad sends unexpected backup.

With new characters and repeats as well as interactions with new cryptids and the more familiar, this was another fun read in the series.  The ending that was startlingly chaotic (to match the title) and, while settled generally, sets up for future books; it appears the next book will be Magic for Nothing.  I look forward to reading it.

Scorched

Title: Scorched

Author: Mari Mancusi [Website][Facebook][Twitter] aka Marianne Mancusi

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire

Series: Scorched, Bk 1

ISBN: 9781402284588

Length: 340 pages

Obtained: Library copy

Why this book?:

Dragons are awesome.  I've read Boys That Bite by her years ago and found it enjoyable, though I didn't continue with the series.  Oh, and the book was way overdue and couldn't be renewed anymore - I needed to hurry and read it.

Comments:

I put a hold on this when I saw it on Wowbrary, but I didn't remember what the blurb said and I didn't want to read the dust jacket description... which meant the book was a mystery to me (other than the obvious it had something to do with dragons).

There's time travel (from the future to present day), dragons, special powers, a museum, danger, good vs. evil, choice, friends, enemies, and the unknown.

I was kinda hoping for a stand alone.  You know the type with lots of questions left to your own imagination and speculation.  But I can also see this as a series.  And in that case this is most definitely only the beginning.  So much is left to be seen and answered.

I enjoyed the book and look forward to reading book 2, Shattered (due out September 2014).

Trailer:

 

A couple children's dragon books...

Title: The Angry Little Knight

Author: Annette Langen (Link In German); Illustrated by Katja Gehrmann (Link In German)

Publisher: NorthSouth

ISBN: 9780735841109

Obtained: Library copy

Why this book?:

I saw it.  It looked cute.  It has a dragon on the cover.

Comments:

A hotheaded knight goes on a real adventure and discovers friendship.  Cute.  Possibly good for a discussion on emotions.  Also a good example of getting out and exploring rather than always staying cooped up and not having any real socialization.

Title: Old MacDonald Had a Dragon

Author: Ken Baker; Illustrated by Christopher Santoro

Publisher: Amazon Children's Publishing

ISBN: 9780761461753

Obtained: Library copy

Why this book?:

About a dragon and looked cute.

Comments:

So you can sing this to the usual tune, but not for long... Really, what do you think is going to happen if you have a dragon on a farm?  Cute, amusing, and the resolution was interesting.

Canadian Children's Books - Not Your Typical Dragon ; Drumheller Dinosaur Dance ; Toads on Toast

Title: Not Your Typical Dragon

Author: Dan Bar-el; Illustrated by Tim Bowers

Publisher: Viking

ISBN: 9780670014026

Obtained: Library copy

Why this book:  Chosen because I saw it reviewed on the Perogies & Gyoza of a The Canadian Book Challenge 6 participant.

Comments:

A very cute book. Crispin's family has always been fire-breathing, and now that he's seven he'll join them in the ranks of fire-breathing dragons. Or will he? I really enjoyed Crispin's tale. It was different and fun (after all, he's not your typical dragon).

Canadian Book (Author from Vancouver, B.C.)

Title: Drumheller Dinosaur Dance

Author: Robert Heidbreder; Illustrated by Bill Slavin and Esperança Mel

Publisher: Kids Can Press

ISBN: 1553379829

Obtained: Library copy

Why this book:  Chosen because I saw it reviewed on the Perogies & Gyoza of a The Canadian Book Challenge 6 participant.
 

Comments:

Canadian Book (Set in Drumheller, Alberta, Canada; Author resides in B.C., Illustrators Ontario residents)

Words flow in a bouncy musical sort of way, with vocab (instruments as well as descriptors). Would make for a cute bedtime story. I read it twice in a row to the kiddos, but didn't fully appreciate it myself until I read it on my own later.

Title: Toads on Toast

Author: Linda Bailey; Illustrated by Colin Jack

Publisher: Kids Can Press

ISBN: 9781554536627

Obtained: Library copy

Why this book:  Chosen because I saw it reviewed on the Perogies & Gyoza of a The Canadian Book Challenge 6 participant.

Comments:

Adorable. When I actually sat down and read this I really enjoyed it.  It was clever, had a great ending, and was plain ol' fun.  Plus there's a recipe at the end for all those that enjoy that sort of thing.

Canadian Book (Author born in Manitoba and resides in B.C.)

Me and My Dragon (Children's Book)

Title: Me and My Dragon

Author: David Biedrzycki

Publisher: Charlesbridge

ISBN: 9781580892780

Obtained: Library copy

Comments:

What better pet than a dragon? This little boy tells all the good and bad that would come with such a pet. With vibrant illustrations that very clearly demonstrate all the mishaps little boys with pet dragons might get into.

Trailer:

 

 

Dragonborn

Title: Dragonborn

Author: Toby Forward

Publisher: Bloomsbury

Series: Flaxfield Quartet, Bk 1

ISBN: 9781599907246

Pages: 344

Obtained: Library copy

Comments:

I was drawn in by the dragon thing when I saw this while checking it in.  I love dragons, and I couldn't resist trying it for myself.

Sam comes back from fishing for dinner like he does every Friday only to find his master (as in an apprenticeship deal) dead.  He knows what to do, he's assisted with enough of the rituals for those who've passed.  But this was pretty much the only person in his life, the man who basically raised him, and he's grieving.  He doesn't have long before he all his master's former apprentices, none of which he's met, come for the ceremony.  And they're all skeptical of his status as apprentice wizard.  So he takes off before they can decide his fate for him.  But it isn't that simple when you add the evil that only Sam can release, the turning of magic from good to bad, and sheer lack of knowledge by several characters.

I enjoyed this fantasy and I found myself more intrigued than I expected to be.  The second (Fireborn) and third (Doubleborn) books are out in England but not the US; I suspect I won't have a chance to read them any time soon.  But I'd like to, so we'll see what I can manage.

The Hobbit

Title: The Hobbit

Author: J.R.R. Tolkien (John Ronald Reuel Tolkien)

Publisher: Ballantine/Fantasy

Copyright Date: 1937, 1938, 1966

Print Date: May 1978

ISBN: 0345272579

Pages: 287

Series: "The Enchanting Prelude to 'The Lord of the Rings'"




Book Description (from back cover):

In this delightful and enthralling tale, J. R. R. Tolkien first created the imperishable world of fantasy called Middle-earth, and those charming, indomitable creatures, the hobbits, whose adventures are continued in "The Lord of the Rings."

Comments:

I was supposed to read this for The Lord of the Rings Readalong. I didn't finish it until early April and have yet to start LOTR.

Anyway, about the book itself. It took me awhile to get past the first couple chapters, not because they weren't interesting, but because I was only reading this in those little moments of the day when I'm waiting in a car, etc. Once I did really sit down to read it I found it quite interesting.

I guess I should first say, while I haven't read LOTR, I have watched the movies. As I read this, I tried to compare it to what I remembered from those movies. For instance, I was trying to think of what the dwarf in LOTR's connection was to the dwarves in The Hobbit.

One thing that rather impressed me was just how real Gandalf was in this book. I guess I always saw him (without much thinking about it) as a more two-dimensional character. But, despite his flaws (or, rather, because of them), he was a much fuller character in this book.

Jenny (@ Jenny's Books) mentioned in the Readalong discussion that the elves seemed more campy. I think I'd say giddy more than campy, but I definitely understood what she was talking about. I remember them as being much more solemn in the LOTR movies.

The other big thing that kept playing in my mind was the ring. I knew from the movies that Bilbo finds the ring during his adventures. I was eagerly awaiting when it would come into his possession. I wasn't disappointed as far as how it worked out, but for the entire rest of the book, I was waiting for that ring to play a part of evil. Isn't that what was supposed to have happened to Gollum? And isn't that what I saw throughout the movies? But in addition to being useful, the ring seemed harmless. Maybe that's part of its charm.

Regarding other events of the story... I was glad when Bilbo finally came into his own. I felt a bit grumbly when I realized Gandalf and the dwarves had played the same stunt on Bilbo that they did on Beorn. (And speaking of Beorn... I know that name is familiar, but I can't remember how it fits into LOTR either.) I don't even know what else to say without this becoming spoiler central.

I want to read LOTR, but the motivation (even with the prospect of flubbing the challenge) may not be enough to happen anytime soon, so...

Moreta: Dragonlady of Pern

Title: Moreta: Dragonlady of Pern

Author: Anne McCaffrey

Publisher: Del Ray

Copyright Date: 1983

Print Date: October 1983

ISBN: 0345298748

Pages: 267 + Dragondex

Series: One of the pern books, in particular, the Renegades of Pern. The order is complicated, but for more detail, check out this PDF.

Book Description (from dust jacket):

An air of pleasant anticipation hung so thickly over the Halls, Holds and Weyrs of Fern that it had affected even the businesslike ways of Moreta, the Weyrwoman of Fort Weyr.

Her dragon, Queen Orlith, would soon clutch; spring had made a glorious debut; the Gather at Ruatha Hold was extremely merry; and Moreta was enjoying the attentions of Alessan, the new Lord Holder of Ruatha Hold. With only eight Turns remaining before the deadly Thread ceased to Fall, all seemed well on Pern.

Then without warning, a runnerbeast fell ill. Soon myriads of holders, craftsmen, and dragonriders were dying; and the mysterious ailment had spread to all but the most inaccessible holds. Pern was in mortal danger. For, if dragonriders did not rise to char Thread, the parasite would devour any and all organic life it encountered.

The future of the planet rested in the hands of Moreta and the other dedicated, selfless Pernese leaders. But of all their problems, the most difficult to overcome was time...

In this marvelously entertaing tale, Anne McCaffrey draws the reader back in time to an earlier Pern to tell the story of one of Pern's great and true heroines.

Comments:

I first started reading Anne McCaffrey's books in middle school, but it's been awhile. When I started this, I was thinking, "Yeah, I could read more of this. Why'd I stop?" But that was before I remembered how gut-wrenching classic fantasy books can be. I honestly can't say whether I liked this book or not. I liked most of it, but... wow, that ending.

With a Single Spell

Title: With a Single Spell

Author: Lawrence Watt-Evans

Publisher: Cosmos

Original Copyright Date: 1987

Revised Edition Copyright Date: 2000

Print Date: April 2008

ISBN: 9780843960723

Pages: 288

Series: 2nd of the Ethshar books


Book Description (from back cover):

He could conjure fire.
That was about it.

Tobas had been lucky to find a wizard to take him on as apprentice. But then the wizard died suddenly and unexpectedly after teaching Tobas only a solitary spell, and the youth was too old to find a new master.

In the Small Kingdoms there were dragons to be slain, princesses and gold to be won, magic castles, witches who knew the secret of immortality, and other treasures. But how could a wizard with a single, simple spell hope to find them and win them?

Comments:

I saw this and another book by this author at a local Dollar store. I'd never heard of the books or author before, but they looked interesting so I picked them up.

I didn't discover that this is part of a series until after I read it. Fortunately for me, is seems the central characters in this have little to do with anything from first book except a shared world and events that happened before are now part of history. And I read this before the other book I purchasd by this author (which turned out to be the 4th) because of the copyright dates.

I liked this story. It wasn't anything spectacular or gripping, but it kept my interest, included some nice adventure, and I liked Tobas despite his tending toward the lazy side of things. I know if I'm being honest (and I can only think this is true for others) I'd prefer to have an easy life and focus on doing things I enjoy... so could I understand Tobas wanting nothing more than to settle in and not do anything dangerous or difficult. And when it comes down to it, Tobas does what needs to be done.

I didn't have any issues jumping into the new world (despite this being a second book) — Tobas hadn't been beyond his little town so for much of the time I learned as he did. And what he was already familiar with was built into the story well.

The story had some romance aspects (they usually do, if you look for it, no matter the genre), but they weren't strong. A little polygamy was involved, but it was turned into a bit of humor. And, most importantly for me, things work out in the end.

One other thing. Tobas is 17, he's exploring the world, discovering what he will do with his life... so I'm tagging this as a YA, but I'm not sure if it actually is or not. At least, I don't think it was published as a YA book.

Baby Dragon

Title: Baby Dragon

Author: Amy Ehrlich (Illustrated by Will Hillenbrand)

Publisher: Candlewick Press

Copyright Date: 2008

Print Date: August 2008

ISBN: 9780763628406

Pages: 28

Book Description (from dust jacket):

Baby Dragon knows he must wait for his mother by the red fern. He knows she'll be back by morning. So he passes time by counting his claws, drawing in the sand, and taking naps.

But as night falls, Baby Dragon starts to worry. What if his mother doesn't come back?

Blending just the right amount of excitement and apprehension, author Amy Ehrlich spins a magical and ultimately reassuring tale. Will Hillenbrand's charming, lush illustrations create a rich atmosphere in which the bond between child and parent shines through.

The Author Speaks:

Candlewick has provided an interview (PDF file) with Amy Ehrlich about this book.

Comments:

Baby Dragon is a very cute book that I checked out from the library. I read it to my nephew and niece. My nephew loved the baby dragon (lots of exclamations of "Baby!" and "It's so cute!").

When we got to this part...


he started pointing and telling me, "Aww. The baby dragon so sad!"

And at the end, after baby and mother reunite, Baby Dragon can finally play with frog. The picture doesn't show the mother dragon, though, so the nephew was all concerned..."Mommy gone!" (Just FYI, this was followed by my reassurances that the mother was right there, and we just couldn't see her. Like how his (my nephew) mommy was here but we couldn't see her since she was upstairs. This seemed to satisfy him, but he still liked the picture of baby and mother curled up together best.)

Anyway, in one of my many library classes it was discussed how books can help w/ discussions about feelings with young kids. I'd say this one definitely did that, especially if read with the recommended 4 - 8 year old.

Dragon Bones and Dragon Blood

Title: Dragon Bones

Author: Patricia Briggs

Publisher: ACE Fantasy

Copyright Date: 2002

Print Date: March 2002

ISBN: 0441009166

Page: 295

Series: Book #1 in the Hurog series


Book Description (from back cover):

PLAYING THE FOOL

Most everyone thinks Ward of Hurog is a simple-minded fool — and that's just fine by him. But few people know that his foolishness is [very convincingly] feigned. find that it's all that's saved him from death at the hands of his abusive father, who's always seen Ward as a bitter rival for power.

When his father dies, Ward becomes the new lord of Hurog... until a nobleman declares that he is too dim-witted to rule. Ward knows he cannot play the fool any longer. To regain his kingdom, he must prone himself worthy — and quickly.

Riding into a war that's heating up on the border, Ward is sure he's on the fast track to glory. But soon his mission takes a deadly serious turn. For he has seen a pile of magical dragon bones hidden deep beneath Hurog Beep. The bones can be dangerous in the wrong hands, and Ward is certain his enemies will stop at nothing to possess them...

Title: Dragon Blood

Author: Patricia Briggs

Publisher: ACE Fantasy

Copyright Date: 2003

Print Date: January 2003

ISBN: 0441010083

Page: 275

Series: Book #2 in the Hurog series


Book Description (from back cover):

CALL TO REBELLION

Ward, ruler of Hurog, is striving to restore his lands and people to prosperity, wanting nothing more than a quiet life. But when an old friend, escaping from High Hing Jakoven's torturers, seeks refuge in his keep, Ward can no longer ignore the growing rebellion against the tyrannical High Hing. He realizes that he cannot stand aside — he must join with the rebels.

However, Jakoven has a secret weapon with which he intends to crush the rebellion: Farsonsbane, a magical artifact that has destroyed entire cities. But first, Jakoven needs blood to awaken it. Dragon's blood. The very blood that courses through Ward's veins...

Comments:

When I hear all the books by an author are good to great — especially when the author has written in different genres — I get nervous. I worry that I'll be disappointed. That was not the case with Patricia Briggs's 2-book Hurog series.

The primary character, Ward, is extremely likeable. I just couldn't help rooting for him. Plus — dragons, magic, the heroic adventure/journey to seek a reputation and save his lands. And to save his family and friends. Overall, it was a pleasure reading these and a shame I agreed to give them up (before reading them, of course). Perhaps I'll see about re-obtaining copies of them.