Sarah Jamila Stevenson's Blog: Blog - Sarah Jamila Stevenson, page 82

Three for Mid-November: Skim, Finnikin of the Rock, Faerie Lord

It's the Return of Three-Sentence Reviews! As the holidays creep closer (and I indulge in more escapist binge-reading) I'm forced to limit my time writing reviews so I can get some, er, work done. So here are a few to start with. All three of these books were checked out from the Stanislaus County Library.

Skim, which was the Cybils YA graphic novel winner in 2008, finally appeared in my library at some point—set in Toronto, it's the story of multiracial (I think) Wiccan Kimberly Keiko Cameron, aka Skim, who struggles with fitting in with her classmates and suffers in silence from a crush on her young, charismatic English teacher Ms. Archer. Her crush and her resulting depression cause her to drift apart from her best friend Lisa, and the rift between them only grows as Skim begins to make friends with Katie, a girl at school whose boyfriend committed suicide. This story is surprisingly complex and touching, Skim is an endearing character with a lot of depth and sweetness, and the artwork retains a loose and sketchy hand-drawn feel while also making a subtle nod to traditional Japanese ukiyo-e woodblock prints—a hybrid blend just like Skim herself.

Buy Skim from an independent bookstore near you!

Finnikin of the Rock, the latest book by Melina Marchetta, will likely appeal to fans of Tamora Pierce for its fully realized world, its well-drawn cultures, its complex and thoughtful characters, and its strong women. Finnikin is the son of the Captain of the Guard of the country of Lumatere—a country that's been cursed and essentially riven in two, with half of its people trapped inside with an impostor king, and the rest wandering exiled throughout the other countries of the continent. I was thoroughly absorbed by Finnikin's story, which is really also the story of the mysterious young woman Evanjalin, who guides him on a harrowing journey to bring their people back to their homeland. Extra Bonus Fourth Sentence: I loved this book, and fans of Marchetta's Jellicoe Road will recognize and revel in the feeling of mysteries unfolding and surprises revealed.

Buy Finnikin of the Rock from an independent bookstore near you!

Faerie Lord is the fourth book in Herbie Brennan's Faerie Wars series, and is sure to be a satisfying conclusion for series enthusiasts. As with the other books, I enjoyed the humor and the quirky world that Brennan has created in which the Faerie Realm is really just a parallel world to our own, and Faeries an awful lot like humans—the technologies (and magic) may differ, but they don't flit about on gauzy wings, and they suffer from political strife and power struggles just as the human world does. Henry's fourth adventure brings him back to the Faerie World to help Queen Blue—whom he sadly jilted at the end of the last book, so there's THAT awkwardness to contend with—address a rapidly-worsening plague of mysterious origin and no known cure.

Buy Faerie Lord from an independent bookstore near you!

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Love At First Sight: Enchanted Ivy by Sarah Beth Durst

Source: Was offered a review copy by the author and received it from the publisher.

This book is a 2010 Cybils Fantasy and Sci-Fi nominee.

Love at first sight. Nope, I'm not talking about falling in love with some compelling and handsome member of the opposite sex, although there are not one, but TWO lust-inspiring love interests in Sarah Beth Durst's latest novel, Enchanted Ivy. I'm talking about that experience of visiting colleges when you're a teenager, when you find yourself at that one school you just know in your bones is the place where you want to spend the next four years of your life.

According to the insert that the author included with the review copy, she herself felt that way about her alma mater, Princeton (where the book is set). I definitely related to that feeling. I felt that way about Berkeley, maybe because my mom graduated from there, too, and we often went back to visit. It's a similar situation with Lily Carter, the main character of Enchanted Ivy, only it's been multiple generations of her family that have attended Princeton. And it's HER dream, too.

So, obviously, Lily's overjoyed to attend Reunion weekend with her grandfather, and amazed that she's been offered an opportunity to take the Legacy Test—a top-secret test that, if she passes, will guarantee her admission to the school. But her assigned quest—to find the Ivy Key—leads her to discover a wondrous, magical Princeton coexisting with the ordinary one she already knows. There, the gargoyles aren't just whimsical historical statuary—they're real. And other, less charming creatures are real besides. Her quest ends up being a lot more dangerous than she bargained for, with two love interests on opposite sides of the conflict competing for her attention, her own family at risk, and out-and-out war between the magical and the mundane becoming increasingly likely.

What could have been a somewhat indulgent and nostalgic exploration of the excitement of preparing for college is, in fact, an adventuresome and charming story that catches the reader up in the sense of anticipation that anything could happen when you leave for college. ANYTHING--up to and including magical battles and handsome were-tiger boys. There's a little bit of everything in this story: adventure, romance, family drama, magic...and the more ordinary magic of discovering who you are and how many possibilities lie ahead.

Buy Enchanted Ivy from an independent bookstore near you!

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Two Middle-Grade Gems

More catching up from me today: two quick reviews of middle-grade titles that crossed my desk over the past few months. There's sort of a gem or jewel theme to both of these, hence the post title. Source: I received Darius Bell and the Glitter Pool from a book publicist, and I bought a copy of The Diamond of Darkhold at an SCBWI conference.

The Diamond of Darkhold, which I actually read months ago and forgot to review (Bad Aquafortis! Bad!), is the fourth book in Jeanne DuPrau's Ember series. I'm definitely a fan of this series, and the fact that the author is local to the San Francisco Bay Area and created a setting suggesting a dystopian California only makes it more enjoyable for me. In this volume, we rejoin our heroes Lina and Doon as they continue to their new and hardscrabble lives aboveground in the town of Sparks.

Life in Sparks seems dire, until Doon finds a clue to a device that Ember's builders may have left behind—a device that could make all of their lives better. Unfortunately, they may have to return to Ember to find it...and, as it turns out, they're not the only ones searching the remains of the underground city. This volume reprises the tense adventure feel of the first book, in which Lina and Doon escape Ember—and it reminds us once more that a creative spirit, an open mind and an open heart are as important to our survival as stubbornness and grit. Fans of the series will no doubt be happy about another adventure in this unique and compelling setting—I definitely was.

Buy The Diamond of Darkhold from an independent bookstore near you!

Darius Bell and the Glitter Pool by Odo Hirsch isn't exactly a fantasy novel, but it does have a whimsical feel to it. In fact, the setting is reasonably realistic and modern-day, but fictitious, with a sort of fairy-tale, "once-upon-a-time" feel. In this story, the Bell family was once wealthy and powerful, living on a grand estate, gentlefolk benefiting from the riches showered upon them by the townspeople. In return—according to an ancient agreement, the Bell Grant—the Bells would give a grandiose gift to the town every 25 years: a statue, or a belltower, or something equally impressive.

Now, though, the Bell family's running out of money. Everyone knows it, but nobody's talking about it. The grounds are in decline, and the time's almost up for Darius's dad to give his gift to the town—but how can they afford anything at all? Darius, though, has an ingenious idea, and he enlists the help of several friends, a curious archeologist, and even his annoying, know-it-all older brother to try to make it a reality. I hadn't ever read anything by Odo Hirsch before, but I enjoyed this one. What could have been simply a fairy-tale-like story of the youngest son embarking on a quest and redeeming his family ended up a very endearing, down-to-earth, funny story about finding a creative way out of a dilemma and growing closer to family and friends in the process. Darius is determined, smart and likeable, and the remaining cast of characters are quirky but also believable. This also strikes me as a fun one for parents to read together with younger kids.

Buy Darius Bell and the Glitter Pool from an independent bookstore near you!

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Pirates! Murder! And Light Romance! The Bird of the River by Kage Baker

I hadn't heard of fantasy author Kage Baker until a friend mentioned her latest book to me, The Bird of the River. I borrowed it, and liked it—a lot more than I expected to. It's one of those books that kind of grows on you after you've put it down and thought about it a while.

Which makes it a cryin' shame that the author died this year. On a more positive note, she's written quite a few books, including a few I've even heard of (by title if not by author's name)--The Anvil of the World, The Empress of Mars. I, for one, will be looking for more of her work.

The Bird of the River was, I believe, released posthumously. It was her newest fantasy work, set in the same universe as The Anvil of the World. As this was my first entry into that universe, I wasn't sure if I'd be at a disadvantage for not having read the other books. However, I didn't feel lost at all; the book works well as a stand-alone. Baker provides a measured introduction to the world through the eyes of its characters, specifically the main protagonist, the teenaged Eliss.

We start with Eliss and her family—her mother, Falena, and her half-brother, Alder—in an unfortunate situation: Falena is a drug addict, and she's using again. Hoping to help her mother get clean, Eliss finds Falena a job as a diver on a river cleanup barge, the Bird of the River.

In this universe, only women become trained divers. The crew of divers on the Bird of the River are responsible for clearing debris from the river as the ponderous craft wends its way upstream and then back down. But when Falena dies (don't worry, that's not really a spoiler; nothing you won't find on the dust jacket copy), Eliss must fend for both herself and her brother. She goes to work in the crow's nest, spotting river obstacles and...a few other not-so-routine things.

There are a lot of subtle themes at work in this piece. Eliss's younger brother Alder is half Yendri, a different race. Issues of mixed race and of fitting in, of dealing with prejudice, are woven throughout the story. There are some very interesting questions of social class brought up, too. Eliss, now an orphan with nothing but her job and her life on the boat, befriends a young man who comes aboard: Krelan, who moves in highborn circles. He's a member of a family that is sort of like...butlers combined with the Mob. His family is born in servitude to one of the noble families, meaning they are sworn allies and bodyguards, and also carry out the family's dirty work. And he's on a quest to carry out some of that dirty work right now...

...which brings me to my next point: there's plenty of action, too. A mysterious murder, a disappearance, pirates, demons, demon pirates, raiding and pillaging, sneaking around in disguises—there's plenty here to please readers who enjoy the adventure aspect of fantasy. At the same time, one of the things I enjoyed most about The Bird of the River is the overall feel of the book—the story has a flowing calm rhythm, even with all the action. It's very fitting--a perfect way to tell the tale of Eliss's life on the barge meandering upstream, city by city, following the curves of the river and slowly coming into her own as a capable, compelling person. I really enjoyed this one. Though it doesn't seem specifically marketed as a YA book, it definitely fits for both teen and adult audiences, and it's encouraged me to look for the author's other work.


This review cross-posted at Guys Lit Wire.

Buy The Bird of the River from an independent bookstore near you!

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Norah McClintock's North-of-the-Border Mysteries

I frequently find myself wishing that there were more good mysteries written for the YA audience. One that I really did enjoy (and which was a Cybils nominee a couple of years ago) was Norah McClintock's Dooley Takes the Fall .

This Canadian author's series of YA hardboiled detective books—the Chloe & Levesque mysteries—are being re-released in paperback by Kane Miller publishing. I missed these before, if they were ever released for a U.S. market, that is. But the folks at Raab Associates unexpectedly (and a bit fortuitously) sent me copies of Book 1: Over the Edge and Book 2: Double Cross.

These mysteries are structured in a traditional detective style, but with a twist—the primary crime-solver is narrator Chloe Yan (a mixed-race protagonist—yay!), a high school student, whose new stepfather, Louis Levesque, is the chief of police in the small town of East Hastings. There are a lot of subtle threads in this series, from Chloe's slow acceptance of her new stepfather, to her difficulty adjusting to life in a new small town after growing up in Montreal. These create a nicely textured backdrop to the mystery action—and, of course, as implied by the title, Chloe and her stepfather end up as reluctant teammates in finding solutions to the crimes that take place.

In Over the Edge, Chloe has to use her nosy school-newspaper skills to sniff out foul play in the suspicious death of a classmate. In Double Cross, Chloe goes to great lengths to help a guy at school—Jonah—try to clear his father of murder, even if that Jonah is...kind of a jerk. Clearly she's someone with principles, and her bulldog-ish persistence and clear sense of right and wrong lead her to try to help address injustices, even when it leads her into real danger. What I like is that it isn't artificial-seeming or wimpy danger—there's genuine tension and suspense. Again, I'm happy to see more of McClintock's work and I'm pleased to see some more good YA mysteries. These are listed by Amazon as suitable for ages 9 – 12, but I'd probably say 11 and up, myself, unless we're talking about mature readers—I'd definitely consider them YA and not MG.

Buy Over the Edge and Double Cross from an independent bookstore near you!

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Kidlitcon 2010: The Fun! The Conversation! The Hijinks!

Okay, so there were not really any hijinks that I am personally aware of. (Sorry if that disappoints you.) However, it was truly an amazing weekend. I gleaned useful blog- and writing-related tidbits, got to do a little sightseeing around Minneapolis—but, best of all, I got to meet so many great people that I've only known in virtual form. Henceforth, I present you with:

KIDLITCON: THE PEOPLE

I love the feeling of community that the Kidlitcon fosters—it's not like any other conference I've ever been to. It's as much about that sense of community, I think, as it is about learning more about blogging, or creating networking opportunities, or getting to listen to knowledgeable speakers. And meeting people who've already met Tanita is always a kick--I can't help wondering if they think we're a strange duo...

Some of the people I saw at this year's conference I've known for a number of years but hadn't met yet, like Liz B. (Tea Cozy), Mary Lee (A Year of Reading), Charlotte (Charlotte's Library), Melissa Wiley (Bonny Glen), Mary Ann Scheuer (Great Kid Books), Laura Salas, and Camille (BookMoot). Others I only just met at the conference but still sort of felt like I'd known them for ages: Alice Pope, Blythe Woolston, Laura Lutz (Pinot & Prose), Elissa Cruz (From the Mixed-Up Files), Kirstin Cronn-Mills, and Toby Speed, just to name a few. (I know I missed some. Please don't hate me.)

I got to see some good friends again whom I'd met in person before: Jen Robinson, Pam @ MotherReader, Maureen Kearney (Bibliovore), and, awesomely, there was a cameo appearance by the legendary Kelly H.! So great to see you, Kelly.

I met the indomitable and amazing Carol Rasco (RIF) and was almost incoherent with awe. I met Susan Taylor Brown, who lives not far from me but yet I hadn't met in person until this weekend. (Same with Mary Ann!)

I'd be remiss if I did not mention the wonderful organizing trifecta of Brian Farrey (Flux), Andrew Karre (Carolrhoda), and Ben Barnhart (Milkweed). Thanks, guys, for such a memorable weekend!

And, lastly, a notable part of going to Minneapolis for me was getting the chance to meet with my acquisitions editor, Brian, and one of the publicists I've been working with at Flux, Steven. We had great conversations, and it's always valuable to be able to put names to faces in a work-related situation.

For pictures of people, check the Kidlitcon Flickr group. For more recaps of the weekend, check here.

KIDLITCON: THE PLACE

The conference was held at Open Book, a literary center located in a building called The Loft in downtown Minneapolis, a short walk from the hotel. I really wish we had a facility like this in my town: the bottom floor has a café, a gallery space and a supremely cool gift shop; the second floor has the Open Book center, complete with a classroom, a large meeting room and a spacious foyer for mingling (and, in our case, that's where we had lunch); and the third floor was home to Milkweed Editions. So awesome.

I didn't spend my entire time indoors, though—on Friday, I met up with a friend who lives in St. Paul and she showed me around the downtown Minneapolis area. We took a fabulously long walk and I got to see some of the many bridges over the river. And the weather gods were smiling upon us—Friday was gorgeous, and it didn't rain on us until Sunday, and it didn't snow at all (which is good, since I have no snow-suitable duds).

KIDLITCON: THE EXPERIENCE

I think I'm going to follow the bullet-point format I'm seeing used so effectively on other recap posts, so this doesn't go on for eons. Here goes:
Thursday night, I met Laura Salas, Susan Taylor Brown, Camille Powell, Camille's husband, and a handful of people from the local SCBWI chapter for a kidlit drink night in the hotel lobby. Very friendly company--what a great way to open the weekend!Friday, I did some daytime sightseeing and then returned in time to meet with my publicist, Steven, before the unofficial event kick-off event. Chatted and mingled most enjoyably during the wine and cheese reception.Critique Groups: The panel discussion about critique groups featured the Merry Sisters of Fate. I learned that they do real-time reader responses using instant messaging, which kind of blew my mind. I think I'm glad we don't do that in our writing group. My brain might implode.Keynote Speaker: Maggie Stiefvater was the keynote speaker, and she reminded us all that blog readers are real people and they might even be real WEIRD people who find out your pets' and children's names if you aren't careful. Best of Backlist: Blogging backlist titles enables us to share our passion for our favorite books, give new life to those books, help give your blog a personality, bring in new readers with similar tastes—and it can provide a resource for the greater good. Author Blog Touring: Each panelist talked about a different aspect of blog touring, but my favorite tidbits were these: Bloggers can help authors by asking in-depth questions that involve the reader and prove you've done some research on the author. And, for authors: think about different types of blog posts you can do while "touring" to mix it up a little; remember to be nice; and remember that self-promotion is a necessary evil. Oh, and author Jacqueline Houtman showed off this amazing Periodic Table of Cupcakes (see photo) that was at her book launch.Pro Blogging: Some print review outlets are facing financial challenges, which means increased opportunities in the online market. The voice you establish in your blog reviews may lead to pro blogging opportunities.Book Reviews and Publishers: Publishers want a clear way to contact you and a clear review policy, right up there on the front page of your site. If you're the one initiating contact, they want that same information. Some are also interested in blog stats/traffic.Poetry Friday: A whirlwind tour of Poetry Friday! How to get involved and so forth. You don't have to post an original poem—you can share a favorite poem or even review a book of poetry.School/Library Visits: Technology can help engage young readers, and they can use downloadable media in their school projects. Don't forget to ask whether kids are allowed to have their picture taken, if you want to include a photo of a school visit on your website. Similarly, make it clear if you don't want your picture taken.Cybils/Kidlitosphere: Pam, Liz, Jen and I gave a panel about the Kidlitosphere and Cybils, and it went rather well, if I say so myself. We had a Powerpoint and everything. I was nervous and thought I could have been more coherent. But aside from that, I think it was a good thing.
Thanks again to the organizers! As for me, I've caught up on my sleep, and I'm already looking forward to next year's conference in Seattle. I'll be trying to help out a little from afar, which should be exciting. Will I see you there?

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Book Blurbs of September, Part III: Geeks and Ghosts

Two more three-sentence reviews today, again courtesy of books from the Stanislaus County Library. I just can't seem to stop myself from grabbing all the library books I can carry and gobbling them down when I should be writing or doing something else productive with my time. Anyone else have that problem?

Firstly, the latest book by one of my personal favorite YA authors, Jaclyn Moriarty, is The Ghosts of Ashbury High, and it's sure to please fans of her ongoing set of characters at Ashbury and Brookfield High Schools. A surprisingly deep and intricate web of stories-within-stories, told in her usual epistolary style from varying points of view (but mainly Em, Lydia, and Toby with the bulk of it), this latest rather hefty volume takes an appropriately Victorian angle to the whole thing. The reader is led merrily along throughout by questions like Is there really a ghost?, Who's the ghost?, Do ghosts truly exist?, and What's a ghost, anyway?, but as always, it's the eminently believable main characters, the amusing and slightly less believable cast of side characters, and the laugh-out-loud sense of humor that make this one another winner for me.

Buy The Ghosts of Ashbury High from an independent bookstore near you!

Now for some geek love! And I did love so many things about Julie Halpern's Into the Wild Nerd Yonder, which was a Cybils finalist last year in YA Fiction—it's got a quirky and endearing main character in Jessie, an adorable older brother who's a surprisingly good friend to his little sis, plus punks, goths, nerds, D&D, and LARPing. Normal people go punk, punks go preppy, the prom queen turns out to be surprisingly deep—there's plenty of self-discovery to go around in this book, but maybe most importantly, Jessie learns that it's quite all right to simply be herself, whether that means sewing her own clothes, playing the drums, or hanging out with nerds because it turns out to be surprisingly fun. It's a hilarious romp, despite being a tiny bit light on backstory, and brought back some good memories of late high school, when I (like Jessie) took up with a group of new gamer friends (except in my case, it was the punk/goths who were doing the gaming).

Buy Into the Wild Nerd Yonder from an independent bookstore near you!

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Book Blurbs of September, Part II: Lisa McMann

It's gonna be book review central around here for a while. Tanita's on the job for the Cybils YA Sci-Fi and Fantasy category (having been a round I judge for that, I know what she's going through!). And I'm still trying to get caught up on reviews of books I read last month. Yep.

This time I'll be looking at the first two books in Lisa McMann's Wake/Dream Catcher trilogy—I got both of these at the Stanislaus County Library. I couldn't find Gone--it was checked out—but it's definitely on my to-read list. With no further ado, here are my three-sentence reviews of this suspenseful pair of books.

Wake kicks off the trilogy with a bang—we meet Janie, who has the ability (or curse) of being able to slip into the dreams of nearby sleepers. It's not something she can control, and it's always made her feel very alone, but she finds some unexpected help and friendship in the form of a surprisingly knowledgeable elderly woman in the nursing home where she works, as well as an intriguing classmate, Cabel. While it's a tiny bit light on characterization and backstory in favor of plotting and suspense, this is a quick, fascinating read that pairs a tightly-conceived supernatural ability with a quickly-moving plot and a hint of romance.

Buy Wake from an independent bookstore near you!

This review of Fade contains very minor spoilers, so be warned! In this second installment of the trilogy, Janie and Cabel are now a team—not just a romantic item, but also solving crimes at their school a la 21 Jump Street, with some critical assistance from Janie's dream-catching abilities. But while Janie's dream-catching can truly help individual dreamers as well as enable her to provide valuable insight into crime-solving, it's got a couple of major downsides, not least of which is the difficulties it's causing in her relationship with Cabel. I liked the fact that this volume further explored the complexity—the downside as well as the upside—of Janie's ability, and it added a lot of depth to her relationships with Cabe and the Captain...but in other ways it was a very light read, glossing over her mother almost entirely and leaving the crime-solving aspects a little formulaic.

Buy Fade from an independent bookstore near you!

I'll be very interested to see what the focus is in the third book, Gone.

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Writing as an Act of Translation

I just wanted to share this apt quote from an Op-Ed article by Michael Cunningham in the New York Times, which my mother recently passed along to me. This bit of writerly wisdom really struck me:

Here's a secret. Many novelists, if they are pressed and if they are being honest, will admit that the finished book is a rather rough translation of the book they'd intended to write. It's one of the heartbreaks of writing fiction. You have, for months or years, been walking around with the idea of a novel in your mind, and in your mind it's transcendent, it's brilliantly comic and howlingly tragic, it contains everything you know, and everything you can imagine, about human life on the planet earth. It is vast and mysterious and awe-inspiring. It is a cathedral made of fire.

But even if the book in question turns out fairly well, it's never the book that you'd hoped to write. It's smaller than the book you'd hoped to write. It is an object, a collection of sentences, and it does not remotely resemble a cathedral made of fire.

It feels, in short, like a rather inept translation of a mythical great work.

Click here to read the rest of the article, which is about translation of literature in both the specific and the broad sense. What about you? Do you feel like the written product is an inadequate approximation of what's in your head, or do you generally feel pretty good about what you write? Does the realization get closer to the vision as a writer matures and gains more experience, or is it a perennial struggle?

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Book Blurbs of September, Part I: Megan Whelan Turner

I swear these are going to be shorter writeups this time. Just this batch and maybe a couple more, until I'm caught up on reviewing library books. I'm short on time lately, so I've decided to set myself a challenge of three sentences per book: two that include my take on what it's about, and one sentence of evaluation. Verdict. Opinion. Whatever. So here goes. All of these books were checked out at the Stanislaus County Library.

The Thief by Megan Whelan Turner is the story of a practiced, boastful thief named Gen, recently released from prison into the custody of the King's Magus and forced to help him steal a treasure from the neighboring kingdom, perhaps right under the very noses of the gods themselves. The imaginary setting calls to mind the ancient Mediterranean, and the backdrop to Gen's story of adventure is one of complex and shifting political intrigue. Though Gen was an unreliable narrator and that was a little off-putting at times, because it created distance between the reader and the story even though it was told in first person, the tradeoff is found in each successive intriguing revelation about the mysterious Gen and his traveling companions.

Buy The Thief from an independent bookstore near you!

The Queen of Attolia by Megan Whelan Turner is the second book in the trilogy following the story of Gen; named for Eugenides, the god of thieves, Gen really comes into his own in this novel with respect to his cunning deceitfulness and political machinations, and his character is developed a bit more deeply. Gen, who is the Queen of Eddis's Thief, embarks on a strategy to prevent war with neighboring Attolia by bringing the two queens together, pitting his loyalty and familial bond with his Queen against his complex feelings of both fear and love for the Attolian Queen. This novel is even more about strategy and political intrigue than the first book, and is sure to appeal to readers who prefer their fantasy to be more realistic than magical.

Buy The Queen of Attolia from an independent bookstore near you!

The King of Attolia by Megan Whelan Turner, the third and final volume of the trilogy, is still the story of Eugenides, but it's told through the eyes of a humble guard in the ranks of the Queen of Attolia's army. Like most of his fellow soldiers and guardsmen in the castle, Costis resents his new King for being an outsider who has stolen the Queen's heart and her kingdom, but he ends up learning a lot more about the King AND the Queen than he bargained for when he ends up in the direct service of the King himself. This was my favorite book of the three—the author did an excellent job of showing Gen through the eyes of another character without compromising the importance or the enjoyment of either character's story.

Buy The King of Attolia from an independent bookstore near you!

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