Scott Westerfield is going to be reading from Leviathan at Books & Books this Sunday at 6 pm. I so want to go! I’ve never read Westerfield’s novels, but this book has really sparked my interest. Steampunk and a girl a disguised as a boy, this is definitely a book to add to my “to read” list.
If I get to go to the event, I’ll post pictures and such 
.
It’s always hard for me to answer when someone asks, “So, what’s your favorite book?” It’s never a matter of not having a favorite, the thing is that I have too many. The idea that someone can have a single favorite book seems sad to me–there are so many wonderful books to experience, how can you possible have just the one favorite? Maybe I’m just a naive bibliophile, but I can’t pick one. I may answer Pride and Prejudice or Persuasion, I may just say that I love Harry Potter, but usually I just answer to get people to stop asking.
Last weekend, my b-chan asked me what my favorite book is and I answered honestly: I don’t have one. But you love to read, he replied. How can you not have one? It’s precisely because I love to read that I don’t, because there are too many to choose from.
Then he asked, Is there a book that you read over and over again?
I suppose this is a better way of asking me what my favorites are; there are many books that I re-read periodically, and these are usually the ones that I cite as favorites when asked. I love Robin McKinley’s Beauty. I’ve read it several times. Part of my graduate thesis was on Beauty, and even after reading it over five times during a six month span, and filling a notebook with notes on every little detail relating to Beauty’s heroism, I still enjoy reading this book.
That said, if it really comes down to it, these are the books that I can call my “Favorites,” if only because I never tire of them.
I finished reading Child of the Prophecy, the final installment in Juliet Marillier’s Sevenwaters trilogy, yesterday afternoon.
The trilogy follows three generations of the Sevenwaters’s clan, starting with a curse laid on the children of Colum of Sevenwaters by the Lady Oognah, a sorceress descended from a faerie cast out from among the Fair Folk.
Granddaughter to Sorcha and niece to Liadan, Fainne is raised os the shores of Kerry by her father Ciaran, a sorcerer and former druid, and son to the Lady Oognah and Lord Colum. Raised in near isolation, Fainne’s one true friend is the tinker’s son, Darragh, a boy with an uncanny ability to tame wild creatures. Fainne lives in relative peace with her father, accustomed to the solitude that marks their life, until the Lady Oognah seeks her out to complete her long-sought vengeance on the people of Sevenwaters. Fainne finds that her grandmother possesses a kind of cruelty that she never anticipated. Forced to act against her better judgment, Fainne must overcome the sorceress’ malice before she too is consumed by it.
—-
While I did not enjoy Child of the Prophecy as much as Daughter of the Forest or Son of the Shadows, the experience would have felt incomplete without Fainne’s story. The prophecy that is such an integral part of the trilogy is explained in a satisfying manner, but some of the plot lines seemed too easily resolved (like the matter between Eamonn and Fainne; it builds, disappears for half the book, and is tied together in the final pages).
The Lady Oognah also comes across as one of those classic evil witch types who cackle and wreak havoc, but there is not much depth to her actions. She’s evil, but it seems like her evil has no real motive; the explanation given for her desire to seek vengeance is weak and only made weaker by her continued inability to do more than manipulate her granddaughter into acting on her behalf. She serves her purpose as the witch who curses the children of Sevenwaters in Daughter of the Forest, but she didn’t really work for me as a character in this book.
I’ve received some great recommendations and discovered some wonderful reads as part of my search for fantasy featuring strong female protagonists—the kind who are willing to take up a sword and fight as well as any of the male heroes that abound in fantasy fiction. It’s difficult finding these characters; though there are a lot of great fantasy novels, the genre really is dominated by male writers and male characters. That’s another of my requirements on this literary quest: I want my strong female characters to be written by strong female writers. I think Robin McKinley’s The Hero and the Crown has become my touchstone when looking for books featuring (s)heroes. Aerin is such a strong character; she’s unconventional and knows what she wants, and that’s an important element, some of the best female heroines are those who know what they want and do their damnedest to get it. That said, the women in Juliet Marillier’s Sevenwaters trilogy and Katsa in Kristin Cashore’s Graceling most assuredly meet the mark.
Daughter of the Forest – Sorcha
Through a retelling of the story of “The Six Swans,” Juliet Marillier crafts a tale worthy of Irish folklore . Sorcha, the seventh child of Lord Colum of Sevenwaters, becomes entangled in a prophecy with the power to alter the fate of Erin. Encountering the fabled Lady of the Forest, Sorcha is warned to stay true to her path despite the challenges that she will undoubtedly face. Blissful in her forest home and safe in the company of her six older brothers, Sorcha is unprepared for the danger that arises when her father is swayed by the powerful sorceress, Lady Oognah. Bearing the brunt of Lady Oognah’s malice, Lord Colum’s sons are transformed into six wild swans and Sorcha is charged with silence and the duty to craft six shirts from starwort, a vicious plant that poisons and pains, her success the only means of restoring her brothers to their human form. Difficulties abound as Sorcha struggles to complete her task, but her endurance belies her gentle nature and makes her the heroine of this tale.
Son of the Shadows – Liadan
Son of the Shadows continues the story of the people of Sevenwaters and the prophecy that marks their lives. Liadan, the youngest daughter of Sorcha, finds that she is not tied to the path that marks the lives of the other members of Sevenwaters. The fair folk cannot make sense of Liadan’s place in the prophecy, her birth was not foretold, nor is her path clear, but one thing is certain–Liadan makes her own destiny.
Graceling – Katsa
The Graces are marked by special talents… and the unusual color of their eyes. Katsa, orphaned niece of the wicked King Randa, comes into her Grace in the most violent of ways–she unwittingly kills her cousin when she resists his touch. For Randa, Katsa’s power is an opportunity, a perfect weapon. Marginalized because of her Grace and her unnerving eyes, Katsa has few friends and little reason to value her invincibility. But everything changes when she meets Po, Lienid Prince and fellow Graceling. Seeming the perfect fighter, Po is the only one able to reach out to Katsa, challenging her physically and emotionally. Setting out on a quest, Katsa finds that the real challenge is learning to accept herself and understanding the truth of her Grace.
—
I just started reading Child of the Prophecy, the third Sevenwaters book, so I will be reviewing that one soon. I thoroughly enjoyed Daughter of the Forest and Son of the Shadows, and was pleased to find that the sequel was just as enjoyable as the first book. While Daughter of the Forest builds on the six swans tale, Son of the Shadows creates a legend all its own. In some ways, Liadan develops as a stronger character, but both she and Sorcha are powerful figures.
Graceling opens with an action-packed scene, but the pace quickly falls into a lull. I was tempted to put it down after a few chapters, but the novel seemed like a quick read and I was interested in learning how things would develop between Katsa and Po. I’m glad I kept reading, the story takes a turn after Po and Katsa become friends, and the plot comes together when Katsa starts to reflect on her Grace and the power it bestows. I prefer more plot development (at times it seemed that Katsa spent way too much time hunting and not enough doing… well… anything else), but the second half of the book made it worthwhile.
Breaking News – Legislation to keep libraries open passes!
Just minutes ago, the Pennsylvania State senate passed bill 1828 by a vote of 32 to 17. For all of you who have been following the saga over the city’s budget crisis, this is indeed the legislation that was needed for the City of Philadelphia to avoid the “Doomsday” Plan C budget scenario, which would have resulted in the layoff of 3,000 city employees and forced the closing of all libraries. We are enormously grateful to everyone who advocated on our behalf. More than 2,000 letters to state legislators were collected from our libraries, and countless others made calls and sent emails underscoring how important public libraries are to the economic, educational and social life of our city. We also thank our incredible library staff, who despite the threat of imminent layoffs continued to provide excellent service to the thousands of people who use one of the 54 libraries in our system.
The Free Library of Philadelphia Library System is closing all branches and eliminating all library programs unless the state legislature approves funding.
Support your libraries! There is more to your local library than books (I’m talking to you naysayers who think no one visits the library because there are Kindles to be had).
Philadelphia Free Library System is shutting down via Boing
Boing by Cory Doctorow on 9/13/09The Philadelphia Free Library system is broke, and they’re
shutting it down, including cancelling “all branch and regional
library programs, programs for children and teens, after school
programs, computer classes, and programs for adults” and “all
children programs, programs to support small businesses and job
seekers, computer classes and after school programs” and “all
library visits to schools, day care centers, senior centers and
other community centers” and “all community meetings” and “all
GED, ABE and ESL program.”Just look at that list of all the things libraries do for our
communities, all the ways they help the least among us, the
vulnerable, the children, the elderly. Think of every wonderful
thing that happened to you among the shelves of a library. Think
of the millions of lifelong love-affairs with literacy sparked in the
collections of those libraries. Think of every person whose life
was forever changed for the better in those buildings.Think of the nobility of libraries and librarianship, the great scar
that the Burning of Alexandria gouged in human history. Think of
the archivists who barricaded themselves in the Hermitage during
the Siege of Leningrad, slowly starving and freezing to death but
refusing to desert their posts for fear that the collections they
guarded would become firewood.Think of the librarians who took a stand during the darkest years
of the PATRIOT Act and refused to turn over patron records.
Think of the moral unimpeachability of those whose trade is
universal access to all human knowledge.Picture an entire city, a modern, wealthy place, in the richest
country
in the world, in which the vital services provided by libraries are
withdrawn due to political brinksmanship and an unwillingness to
spare one banker’s bonus worth of tax-dollars to sustain an entire
region’s connection with human culture and knowledge and
community.Think of it and ask yourself what the hell has happened to us.
All Free Library of Philadelphia Branch, Regional and Central
Libraries Closed Effective Close of Business October 2, 2009
On a quest for strong female characters in fantasy fiction – Part Deux
I love a good bildungsroman and if it breaks the mold of male coming-of-age stories, even better. Caroline Stevermer’s A College of Magics is most assuredly not your typical coming-of-age novel.
Set in an alternate Belle-Époque Europe where elemental magic can be harnessed by a select few, the novel follows the adventures of Faris Nallaneen, Duchess of Galazon as she learns the meaning of duty, responsibility, and love.
Shipped off to Greenlaw College until she reaches her majority, Faris is certain that her Uncle Brinker, steward of Galazon, is intent on keeping her out of the way so he can perform his own devious end. A college for the magical education of young women, Greenlaw is protected by powerful wardens that deny the practice of magic on school grounds. In Faris’s opinion, the place is just another finishing school.
Desperate for Galazon, Faris finds an affinity with the prim and anything-but-proper Jane Brailsford, whose friendship keeps Faris from becoming too homesick and forces her to view her duty to Galazon and the magic of Greenlaw in a new light. But there is more to Galazon than skipping class for a pot of tea and three-volume novels in Jane’s study, as Faris soon learns. Making an enemy of Menary Paganell, Faris begins to see that some magic is deadly and there are those who would use it for their advantage.
A dangerous trip across Europe, a magical quest, mysterious characters, and political plots make Faris’s coming-of-age quite an adventure.
While on my quest for that elusive element in fantasy fiction–the strong female protagonist (or girls who do things)–I was introduced to Patricia C. Wrede and Caroline Stevermer’s Sorcery & Cecilia or The Enchanted Chocolate Pot a magical romance set in Regency era England. Caught up in the magical machinations of their country neighbor, Sir Hilary, and his sometime co-conspirator, the power-hungry Miranda, cousins Kate and Cecilia find that their entry into society is about to become a lot more interesting.
Forced to stay home in Rushton Manor while Kate has her first Season in London, Cecilia begins a correspondence, keeping Kate abreast of all the happenings in Essex–like the arrival of Miss Dorothea and the appearance of the rude Mr. Tarleton. Meanwhile, Kate finds that there is more to London than balls and dancing when she runs into the vengeful Miranda, who mistakes her for someone named Thomas, and her enchanted chocolate pot. Finding themselves in the middle of an intrigue, Kate and Cecilia learn that sometimes the rules of decorum must be broken… especially if one does not wish to be turned into a tree.
As someone who loves Regency, I found Sorcery & Cecilia to be a delightful read, it’s fun and quirky and makes the idea of sorcery seem entirely plausible. The epistolary form allows for two very distinct voices to come through as Kate and Cecilia recount their adventures (Wrede and Stevermer wrote the novel as a Letter Game that turned into something more), making the novel seem like a real glimpse of the past.
The novel is followed by two sequels, The Grand Tour and The Mislaid Magician, also co-authored by Wrede and Stevermer.
I tried, I really did, but I could not finish reading Mercedes Lackey and Roberta Gellis’s By Slanderous Tongues. I was in the mood for a fantasy read and received a few recommendations on Yahoo! Answers, and Lackey was recommended by more than one. I know she’s really popular, so I was hopeful when I picked up the book at the library. I thought the premise behind By Slanderous Tongues sounded interesting: already a pawn in the mortal world, the young Elizabeth is also part of a dangerous plot being planned by the Unseleighe Sidhe.
The plot has potential, but I learned more about Elizabethan fashion than I did about the characters and their motivations. Everyone in this novel seems to wear slashed sleeves–the reader gets a full description of what each character is wearing… or not wearing in each scene. Titania’s rosy nipples made quite an impression.
I’ve read reviews that say that this novel is not indicative of Lackey’s usual storytelling, so I’ll give her another try, but I think I’ll check out Juliet Marillier’s Daughter of the Forest first.
I am in the mood for a good fantasy novel, but I have a few requirements that are making the search a bit difficult.
I want:
I’m thinking something similar to Holly Black’s Tithe or the kind of strong female characters found in Robin McKinley and Tamora Pierce’s novels.
I will gladly take all recommendations
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