Bookanista Review: Silver Phoenix & Fury of the Phoenix

Hey y'all! Today is a double whammy of awesomeness!

I'm going to be talking about Cindy Pon's magical SILVER PHOENIX and its even more marvelous sequel, FURY OF THE PHOENIX, which I just finished. I discovered this series through a wonderful review Robin McKinley wrote on her blog (for the link, go to Cindy Pon's website, link at the end of this post). On the basis of that endorsement, I picked up SILVER PHOENIX, and I'm so glad I did!

on the day of her first betrothal meeting--and rejection--ai ling discovers a power welling deep within her. she can reach into other people’s spirits, hear their thoughts, see their dreams…and that’s just the beginning.

ai ling has been marked by the immortals; her destiny lies in the emperor’s palace, where a terrible evil has lived, stealing souls, for centuries. she must conquer this enemy and rescue her captive father, while mythical demons track her every step. and then she meets chen yong, a young man with a quest of his own, whose fate is intertwined with hers. here is a heart-stopping, breathtaking tale for fans of action, fantasy, and romance--of anything with the making of legend.

My Take

This is one of the most cinematic, beautifully written books I've read in a long time. Pon's descriptions of food in particular are mouth-watering...and also add to our understanding of Ai Ling, a wonderfully strong, independent girl...who happens to have an appetite and appreciation for good food (which I really loved about her, as I am ALSO a fan of yummy food! ;-)). 

The story is a sweeping adventure in the same vein as some of my favorite fantasies, like On Fortune's Wheel by Cynthia Voigt and The Blue Sword by Robin McKinley, but it takes place in the Asian/China-inspired mythical Kingdom of Xia...and is all the more engaging for its vivid setting. 

In addition to the lush writing, I particularly loved Ai Ling's character. She was aware of her duties and role in her world's society, but also independent, resourceful, and powerful. She was strong enough to make tough choices. And she was real, sometimes making mistakes. She had passions, fears, regrets...all explored through a complex, interesting story.

And Chen Yong isn't just a pretty face. He's just as interesting and complex a character, with his own quest and his own strengths and weakenesses. They have great chemistry, and watching their relationship develop while they dealt with the challenges of their journey as well as the strictures of their society, was both wonderful and bittersweet. Theirs is not a relationship with easy answers, and I loved that about it.

And let me just say, this is a book with one hell of a villian. SO. AWESOME. :-)

Today I finished the sequel, FURY OF THE PHOENIX, and while I don't want to say much about it, so as not to give anything away, I WILL say that I think I loved it even more than SILVER PHOENIX, if that's possible.

FURY OF THE PHOENIX is just as beautifully written as Pon's first novel, and the exciting story will keep you turning pages until well after you should have been asleep (take it from me!). I loved the way Pon delved deeper into the histories and mythologies of her characters, and how both books follow Ai Ling on a quest...while keeping those journeys different and fresh. I love books with adventure, romance, gorgeous scenery...and these books have all of those things in spades!

I highly recommend this series...and, for more info and a taste of the author's beautiful artwork, check out her website! 

UPDATE: Wanted to share that Koko's tumor turned out to be Stage 1 and the vet got it all, so she has a clean bill of health! YAY!!! :-)

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Check out what the other Bookanistas are raving about this week!

Christine Fonseca  takes a shine to A MILLION SUNS

Carolina Valdez Miller falls for FRACTURE

Jen Hayley surrenders to THE NIGHT SHE DISAPPEARED

Stasia Ward Kehoe is dazzled by DARK COMPANION

Nikki Katz wonders at THE FAULT IN OUR STARS

Debra Driza is overwhelmed by UNDER THE NEVER SKY

Jessica Love gives a trophy to BEAUTY QUEENS

Shelli Johannes-Wells takes you on a tour of The Reading Room

Tracy Banghart has double-love for THE SILVER PHOENIX and FURY OF THE PHOENIX

Hilary Wagner is in the grips of THE GATHERING STORM

Woe is Koko

So, this is what I've been dealing with for the past few days...

The pouting is seriously getting to me, guys, I have to say. The thing is, the reason for the collar is that she recently had surgery to remove a couple of tumors (still waiting to hear what type/stage they were) and if she ISN'T wearing the collar, she licks her sutures. :-(

But still. It is SO, SO hard to resist that face. She also has this technique of walking up to you and pressing the plastic cone into your leg and standing there, unmoving. Her passive aggressive way of saying she is NOT. PLEASED.

Moving into position

But overall she's been a very good sport. (And sometimes we let her take a break and curl up on the bed, cone free. Cuz we're suckers like that.)

In other news, for the first time in MONTHS I had a good writing week last week! SO, SO excited about this and seriously hoping it continues. The past few months have been tough on the new work in progress...revisions on other projects kept needing to be done, and there were holidays and trips and...frankly...some discouraged feelings to overcome. But the WIP is starting to take over my brain again and I'm finally beginning to feel the story consume me. Yay!!

A few of my hopes for this week: We'll get good news regarding Koko's tumors/prognosis, I'll reach 30k on the WIP, and SMASH will be as awesome as the previews make it look! ;-)

Bookanistas Review: Juliet Immortal

Welcome to another Bookanistas Review!

This week I read JULIET IMMORTAL by Stacey Jay and let me just say...WOW. Like, a serious WOW.

"These violent delights have violent ends
And in their triumph die, like fire and powder,
Which as they kiss consume."
—Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare

The most tragic love story in history . . .

Juliet Capulet didn't take her own life. She was murdered by the person she trusted most, her new husband, Romeo Montague, a sacrifice made to ensure his own immortality. But what Romeo didn't anticipate was that Juliet would be granted eternity, as well, and would become an agent for the Ambassadors of Light. For 700 years, she's fought Romeo for the souls of true lovers, struggling to preserve romantic love and the lives of the innocent. Until the day she meets someone she's forbidden to love, and Romeo, oh Romeo, will do everything in his power to destroy that love.

My Take

Holy moly is this book ah-maz-ing. I have to say that this is one that kept catching my eye in the bookstore, but I wasn't convinced it'd be my kind of thing. I generally am not a huge fan of retellings (except of the fairy tale variety) and wasn't sold on the whole "making the story of Romeo and Juliet paranormal" thing. 

But here's the power of Twitter...I clicked on a link to a review and the person (I can't remember who now or I'd link, but it might have been a Bookanista) LOVED it. So I thought, hey...a) I'm about to go to Italy, the birthplace of Juliet and b) it's getting some great reviews...so why not? So I went to my local bookstore and picked up a copy.

AWESOME, AWESOME decision by me. :-)

I didn't end up reading it while I was in Italy, but that was probably a good thing. If I had, I wouldn't actually have SEEN much of Italy. This story drew me in from the first page and left me breathless with suspense until the last. 

Juliet's voice is fantastic - lyrical and realistic. I loved the quality and flow of the language, the emotions that come alive on the page. The funny thing is, after I started reading it didn't bother me one bit that this was a retelling, because it wasn't. What Stacey Jay did with these iconic characters...I really don't want to give a thing away, but I have to admit...I loved Stacey's Juliet more than I did Shakespeare's...and I say that as a total W.S. 'shipper. 

JULIET IMMORTAL is just...different. And twisty. And intense. And incredibly romantic. Imaginative...surprising...I could go on. But, really, you should just go out and get a copy for yourself, so you can see what I mean.

Last Thought

From a writer's perspective, my favorite element of the story was the way Stacey Jay threw HUGE, MASSIVE, LIFE OR DEATH obstacles at her characters. I really had no idea how she was going to resolve things. If things could even BE resolved. (I won't tell you if they are.) The reason I was breathless was because the entire book I knew exactly what Juliet - and the other characters - had to lose...and how very high the odds were stacked against them. This is something you hear over and over again as a writer - make it hard for your main character, raise the stakes, etc etc...but let's face it. It's a tough thing to do. Especially in a way that'll earn a payoff at the end (if you're going to make your stakes life or death, you better not have a simple solution at the end and keep everyone living and breathing like there was never any danger at all...ahem). 

So I've gotta give Stacey mad props for that. 

And everything else.

Cuz this book is badass and you should read it. :-)

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Check out what else the Bookanistas are excited about this week!

Christine Fonseca  interviews author Denise Grover Swank

Jessi Kirby and Jen Hayley are wowed by WANDERLOVE

Corrine Jackson is mesmerized by MAY B.

Stasia Ward Kehoe  interviews DIES IRAE author Christine Fonseca

Debra Driza is entranced by HEMLOCK

Katy Upperman delves into THE DISENCHANTMENTS

Nikki Katz  celebrates CINDER

Tracy Banghart  marvels at JULIET IMMORTAL

Jessica Love spotlights SHINE

Gennifer Albin gives some trailer love to STARTERS

Bookanistas Review: The Other Life

Hello, hello everyone!

It's that time again, and I have to say, I am REALLY excited about this week's Bookanista review!

Full disclosure: Susanne Winnacker, the author of THE OTHER LIFE, is a friend and one of my critique partners (though I didn't critique this manuscript specifically)

So...THE OTHER LIFE hasn't actually been released yet, but Susanne sent me a copy of the UK version, and I devoured it in a matter of days. It's an incredibly fast, tense read and I loved it!

Here's the cover and description for the UK version:

3 years, 1 month, 1 week and 6 days since I'd seen daylight. One-fifth of my life. 98,409,602 seconds since the heavy, steel door had fallen shut and sealed us off from the world.

Sherry has lived with her family in a sealed bunker since things went wrong up above. But when they run out of food, Sherry and her dad must venture outside. There they find a world of devastation, desolation...and the Weepers: savage, mutant killers.

When Sherry's dad is snatched, she joins forces with gorgeous but troubled Joshua - an Avenger, determined to destroy the Weepers. But can Sherry keep her family and Joshua safe, when his desire for vengeance threatens them all?

My Take

So, I have to admit, I'm not a huge fan of post-apocalyptic stuff. And I haven't read much dystopian either. BUT. This book so, so works for me. I think it's because it's so rooted in the characters, especially Sherry...a strong and yet vulnerable main character with a distinctive voice. I related to her and rooted for her because she had the same kinds of thoughts I think *I* would have when faced with a similar circumstance (though she's got much more of a survival instinct than I do! I think I'd totally wuss out when faced with the devastation and danger she deals with). Sherry is a fantastic character and I love how rich her relationships with her family are. This isn't a book with absent parents...the story is as much about Sherry's relationship with her family as it is about the Weepers. Of course, her dad does figure into the plot...and because we've seen Sherry interact with her father and know how she feels about him, it's even more devastating when he's taken.

Other stuff I loved about this book

The incredible way Susanne builds the intensity. I actually couldn't read this book before bed because every time I opened it, I was on edge, afraid for Sherry and her family and Joshua. The tension builds seamlessly throughout, making you turn the pages faster and faster.

I also loved the early chapters, when Sherry is stuck in the bunker with her family. The claustrophobia, the boredom...the click-click of Sherry's grandmother's knitting needles...build build build goes that tension. Numbers figure prominently in the book...Sherry counting up the seconds and minutes and days between events...and it becomes this ticking clock of sorts. Totally got under my skin!

Each chapter begins with a short memory from Sherry's "life before"...these vignettes serve as windows into Sherry's character and her hopes and dreams...as well as building tension, yet again, by breaking into the rhythm of the present day story and delaying your gratification in finding out what happens next.

And ladies, there's romance all right, but NO love triangle! Watching Sherry and Joshua's relationship build is one of the joys of this story. They both are strong and brave...but also damaged and vulnerable, which forces them to interact and relate to one another in interesting ways.

Final thoughts

This book isn't big on the science part of the fiction, but this didn't bother me as it had so many other strengths, and I was much too engaged in the tension and characters to care.

Check out Susanne's blog for awesome news about the UK release...and a certain young man's diary entries. ;-)

THE OTHER LIFE is an intense, wonderful read and I highly recommend that you check in out!

In the UK, you can pick up your copy NEXT WEEK beginning February 1st!

In the States, you unfortunately have to wait until May 1, but check out the awesome US cover and add it to your Goodreads TBR list! :-)

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Check out what the other Bookanistas are jazzed about this week...

Christine Fonseca  brings you a special Guestanista review of SPRINKLES AND SECRETS

Shannon Messenger delights in DEAD TO YOU – with giveaway

Beth Revis interviews TEMPEST author Julie Cross – with giveaway

Jessi Kirby takes a shine to the SURRENDER and new POSSESSSION covers

Stasia Ward Kehoe adores IN HONOR

Jen Hayley gushes over THE GIRL WHO LOVED A CITY

Veronica Rossi  is crazy for INCARNATE

Nikki Katz marvels at A MILLION SUNS

Gennifer Albin   is on fire over CINDER

Tracy Banghart  is all about THE OTHER LIFE

Jessica Love wonders at THE FAULT IN OUR STARS

Hilary Wagner mourns over THE DEATH OF YORIK MORTWELL -- with giveaway

Making Connections & Italy

A little less than two weeks ago, MAJOR HOTSAUCE and I returned from a semi-impromptu trip to Torino, Italy.

 View of Torino from the basilica di Superga

We went to visit my friend Michelle, her husband, and their three-week old son (ie the cutest baby EVAR!). We had a wonderful time...we ended up staying with Michelle's parents outside of the city and driving into town each day. It was a unique experience for us in Italy (which is where we spent our honeymoon) ...rather than being tourists (or a student studying abroad - in my experience, I didn't experience much of the "real" Italy), we got an authentic Italian experience, with the music, the food, the language, the markets, the walking along the river in Turin...(in MAJOR HOTSAUCE'S case, the grappa distillery tour and visit to the salami maker with Michelle's Dad...)

It was fantastic. Absolutely wonderful.

It's funny to think how things work out in life. Michelle and I met in grad school, in Oxford. She's bilingual (English/Italian) and we formed a bond over a love of publishing...and our type-A personalities. :-) Every week we'd meet at a little cafe in Oxford on Cowley Road and drink coffee and eat these little, personal pizzas (the only good pizza I had the entire time I was in England) and we'd talk about school and books and traveling and the differences between the States and Europe, and, okay, boys. ;-) 

Ah, the good old days...

After we finished school, we went our separate ways...Michelle back to Turin, and me to D.C. But we kept in touch. And a few years later, Michelle emailed me about a job. She was working as an editor for an English-language hairstyling magazine, and they were looking for someone to write an article or two per issue. I jumped at the chance, and ended up writing articles for the magazine for two years.

I guess you could say I got my first paid writing job as a result of networking.

In college, people like to throw that word around. Networking. The whole "it's not what you know but who you know" thing. But I've always found that networking doesn't work as well for networking's sake. I've been to "networking" cocktail parties in DC...and they felt more like meat markets or job interviews than real opportunities to make connections. Not to mention I've never gotten a job from an experience like that, and certainly never a lasting friendship.

But, years later, Debbie, a friend I'd made on the job while in D.C., hooked me up with her friend Mandy, also a writer, and we've been email friends and crit partners ever since...all this happening long after Debbie and I had both left DC. It just goes to show that the best networking isn't about having an agenda. Strike up a conversation with someone who shares your interests...or ask someone where they're from and what they like...you never know what kind of connections you'll make. My mom has tons of stories of meeting people on airplanes and on trips...even in restaurants. And some of the craziest things have happened as a result. (Simon Carrington of The King's Singers directing a concert for her, for one.)

In my experience, the kind of networking that yields the highest rewards is the kind that doesn't FEEL like networking. It's just a couple of people talking about what they love, with no alterior motives or agendas.

Michelle and I were students together, and then coworkers (well, technically she was my boss ;-)). And now we're the kind of friends who take transatlantic flights to visit one another. You never know what will come from making a connection, from starting a conversation.

In the publishing industry, people like to tell you it's not who you know, that it's all about writing an awesome freaking book. And that's true, for the most part. If your manuscript isn't ready, it doesn't matter how many connections you have to agents and editors or other authors. BUT...it IS a subjective business. And even if you DO write an awesome freaking book, you still need to get it into the right hands. Going to conferences, chatting with people, joining Twitter...not to network but to make friends, share your love of books or knitting or fire-breathing dragons or whatever...putting yourself out there, you're bound to make connections. Those connections might not sell your book or get you an agent, but they could. Or they might lead to you making an awesome friend, or finding a an amazing critique group, or meeting the love of your life.

You just never know, and therein lies the fun. :-)

 Superga :-)

The villa I want to buy someday, ala "Under the Tuscan Sun" ;-)

PS. Feeling so nostalgic for grad school and all my grad school friends now. Just a warning...if you go to school overseas, chances are you'll make friends who also live overseas...and who are therefore who are very far away!! ::waves to Michelle, Heloise, Helen, and all the folks from Brookes.:: Miss you guys!