REVIEW | Naomi NOVIK: Uprooted

by azurestrawberry // 8 Gennaio 2016 // No Comments

Finally my review of Uprooted, a book written by Naomi Novik and published in may 2015 by Penguin Random House. Uprooted is a fantasy that takes its root from fairytales and spins a tale of magic and love.


Rating: READ an EXCERPT HERE
Editore	Penguin Random House
ISBN	9780804179034 B00KUQIU7O
Pagine	448
Prezzo	$ 25.00 hardback $ 12.99 kindle
Uscita	19th may 2015
Acquista	LaFeltrinelli.it \| Amazon MondadoriStore \| IBS.it
Recensioni	Goodreads

Uprooted
Naomi Novik

“Our Dragon doesn’t eat the girls he takes, no matter what stories they tell outside our valley. We hear them sometimes, from travelers passing through. They talk as though we were doing human sacrifice, and he were a real dragon. Of course that’s not true: he may be a wizard and immortal, but he’s still a man, and our fathers would band together and kill him if he wanted to eat one of us every ten years. He protects us against the Wood, and we’re grateful, but not that grateful.”

Agnieszka loves her valley home, her quiet village, the forests and the bright shining river. But the corrupted Wood stands on the border, full of malevolent power, and its shadow lies over her life.

Her people rely on the cold, driven wizard known only as the Dragon to keep its powers at bay. But he demands a terrible price for his help: one young woman handed over to serve him for ten years, a fate almost as terrible as falling to the Wood.

The next choosing is fast approaching, and Agnieszka is afraid. She knows—everyone knows—that the Dragon will take Kasia: beautiful, graceful, brave Kasia, all the things Agnieszka isn’t, and her dearest friend in the world. And there is no way to save her.

But Agnieszka fears the wrong things. For when the Dragon comes, it is not Kasia he will choose.

Review Uprooted by Naomi Novik

He was a thing of books and alembics to me, library and laboratory.

Uprooted by Naomi Novik has that particular feel of an old tale told in front of the fireplace, surrounded by a warm, old and comfy blanket, with a cup of tea or chocolate at hand. It makes you imagine a tale of adventures, foe, great feat and, maybe, an everlasting love. I don’t like to spoiler things for anyone and with this book it can happen easily. Thus I will not tell anything too specific about the story, you can already decide if it is intriguing or not by reading the plot and the excerpt. I will tell you only this…. Uprooted gave me all of what I listed above and even more. I’m sorry to be so late in speaking of this book because it was one of the best of 2015 for me but it’s not always so simple to put my thoughts on words after reading a book I liked so much.
It starts with a premise non truly original but then takes unespected turns because of the story behind. A story that the author keeps firmly secret till the end, when all is finally clear to the reader. Therefore it’s all revealed by degrees so as to truly appreciate the world Novik has invented. It was this author’s skill that made me appreciate the book more…it’s not really common to find an author that can keep the reader oblivious for the majority of a story, much less for an entire book! And we can’t forget about the MCs! Both the female and male MC are truly inspired. The opposite one of the other. Him, the Dragon. A gruff, rude, sophisticated, sociopathic know-it-all (yeah, I know but he is such a character XD). Her, the peasant. A common, ignorant, wild, unkempt young thing. It is obvious that the clash of wills soon makes any kind of fear Agnieszka could have ever felt pass quickly.
Before this book, I hadn’t read anything of this author but it’s sure now that she has gained a new follower.

REVIEW |Danielle L. JENSEN: Stolen Songbird (The Malediction Trilogy #1)

by azurestrawberry // 14 Agosto 2015 // No Comments


READ AN EXCERPT
Rating:
Publisher	Angry Robot/Strange Chemistry
ISBN	9781908844965 B00JDIBX60
Price	$ 5.99 ebook
Pages	469
Out	01 april 2014
Buy	LaFeltrinelli.it \| Amazon \| MondadoriStore \| IBS.it Barnes&Noble \| bookdespository
Review	Anobii \| Goodreads

Stolen Songbird
Danielle L. Jensen

The Malediction Trilogy, book 1

For five centuries, a witch’s curse has bound the trolls to their city beneath the ruins of Forsaken Mountain. Time enough for their dark and nefarious magic to fade from human memory and into myth. But a prophesy has been spoken of a union with the power to set the trolls free, and when Cécile de Troyes is kidnapped and taken beneath the mountain, she learns there is far more to the myth of the trolls than she could have imagined.

Cécile has only one thing on her mind after she is brought to Trollus: escape. Only the trolls are clever, fast, and inhumanly strong. She will have to bide her time, wait for the perfect opportunity.

But something unexpected happens while she’s waiting – she begins to fall for the enigmatic troll prince to whom she has been bonded and married. She begins to make friends. And she begins to see that she may be the only hope for the half-bloods – part troll, part human creatures who are slaves to the full-blooded trolls. There is a rebellion brewing. And her prince, Tristan, the future king, is its secret leader.

As Cécile becomes involved in the intricate political games of Trollus, she becomes more than a farmer’s daughter. She becomes a princess, the hope of a people, and a witch with magic powerful enough to change Trollus forever.

review
Stolen Songbird -anche se di genere young adult che, diciamocelo, ha un po’ stufato- è stato una bella sorpresa che anzi mi ha catturato e portato molto velocemente alla fine di questo primo capitolo della trilogia.
La trama in realtà spiega già un po’ tutto quello che il lettore ha bisogno di sapere per decidere se è interessato o meno al romanzo della “Malediction Trilogy” e pertanto raccontare di più vuol dire rischiare di fare spoiler. Comunque, brevemente, Stolen Songbird è la storia di una maledizione…appunto :). Il romanzo è un fantasy ambientato in un mondo dove, accanto agli umani, in tempi passati esistevano e commerciavano i troll. In realtà i troll hanno sempre visto gli umani più come animali da sfruttare per i loro scopi che non come esseri eguali, ciononostante i rapporti tra le due razze si sono protratti per secoli senza eccessivi problemi dati i mutui interessi (forza lavoro per i troll, oro e ricchezze per gli umani). A seguito però della maledizione lanciata da una strega, da cinquecento anni i troll sono imprigionati nella montagna sotto cui sorge la loro città, impossibilitati ad uscire alla luce del sole e, fortunatamente per gli umani, anche a compiere qualsiasi manovra di conquista del regno umano. Cécile, la nostra eroina, è una ragazza di diciassette anni che vive nel paesello rurale a fianco della suddetta montagna. Tutta la sua vita è trascorsa nella consapevolezza che la madre, cantante d’opera, ha lasciato la famiglia per seguire la sua carriera nella città Reale. Solo alcune sporadiche visite negli anni le hanno permesso di conoscere superficialmente la madre che però, in compenso, dopo aver appreso delle capacità canore della figlia, le ha fornito un’istruzione con l’idea che, a diciassette anni, la stessa l’avrebbe seguita in città per seguire nella sua stessa carriera. Il romanzo inizia proprio il giorno prima della partenza di Cécile per la città quando, di ritorno da una visita al paese, viene rapita da un conoscente, la cui reputazione è decisamente pessima, per essere barattata ai troll in cambio di una fortuna in peso. I troll, infatti, stanno cercando di far avverare una profezia che ha loro promesso la libertà dalla motagna…una montagna che rischia di crollare sulle loro teste da un momento all’altro. Questa profezia vede l’intervento di una ragazza dalla voce d’usignolo e dai lunghi capelli rosso fuoco, esattamente le caratteristiche che rendono Cécile unica. Starà ora in lei decidere se il suo desiderio più grande è riacquistare la propria libertà o aiutare i troll.
Questo romanzo mi è piaciuto nel suo insieme. I personaggi, anche se giovani, non sono risultati falsi e smielati come spesso accade ormai con gli YA. Il mondo creato dall’autrice – anche se richiama elementi del fantasy classico e pertanto non veramente originali- diviene originale, oltre ad essere ben costruito, una volta collegato alla storia che racconta. Come primo volume della trilogia non posso che dire che, per me, sia un pieno successo. Non vedo l’ora di proseguire con il secondo volume: Hidden Huntress. L’ultimo volume, invece, il cui titolo è Warrior Witch uscira a maggio 2016.

REVIEW | Anne BISHOP: Written in Red (The Others, #1)

by azurestrawberry // 6 Agosto 2015 // 1 Comment

Per gli amanti di fantasy ed urban fantasy italiani stò seriamente incrociando le dita perché, prima o poi, venga pubblicata una delle migliori serie urban fantasy da me lette negli ultimi anni. L’avventura di The Others è iniziata nel marzo 2013 con Written in Red e a cadenza annuale è proseguita con Murder of Crows e Vision in SIlver (in fast-review-up programma poi altri due titoli nei prossimi due anni). L’autrice, Anne Bishop, ha vinto diversi riconoscimenti nel mondo fantasy e con questa sua “nuova” serie si sta dimostrando una vera forza della natura. Il primo volume, Written In Red, di cui stò per andare a parlarvi è stata una rivelazione quando uscì…una storia innovativa, dark ma allo stesso tempo con accenni di umorismo, estremamente contemporanea e reale.


READ AN EXERPT
Rating:
Editore	ROC
ISBN	9780451417909 B008RD34VO
Prezzo	$ 7.99 mm paperback
Pagine	487
Uscita	05 march 2013
Acquista	LaFeltrinelli.it \| Amazon.it \| MondadoriStore \| Barnes&Noble
Recensioni	Anobii \| Goodreads

Written in Red
Anne Bishop

The Others, book 1

No one creates realms like “New York Times “bestselling author Anne Bishop. Now in a thrilling new fantasy series, enter a world inhabited by the Others, unearthly entities–vampires and shape-shifters among them–who rule the Earth and whose prey are humans.
As a “cassandra sangue,” or blood prophet, Meg Corbyn can see the future when her skin is cut–a gift that feels more like a curse. Meg’s Controller keeps her enslaved so he can have full access to her visions. But when she escapes, the only safe place Meg can hide is at the Lakeside Courtyard–a business district operated by the Others.

Shape-shifter Simon Wolfgard is reluctant to hire the stranger who inquires about the Human Liaison job. First, he senses she’s keeping a secret, and second, she doesn’t smell like human prey. Yet a stronger instinct propels him to give Meg the job. And when he learns the truth about Meg and that she’s wanted by the government, he’ll have to decide if she’s worth the fight between humans and the Others that will surely follow.

Anne Bishop lives in upstate New York where she enjoys gardening, music, and writing dark, romantic stories. She is the author of fourteen novels, including the award-winning Black Jewels Trilogy. Her most recent novel,Twilight’s Dawn, made the New York Times bestsellers list. She is currently working on a new series, which is an urban dark fantasy with a bit of a twist. Crawford Award (2000)

review
Il mondo, Namid, costruito dall’autrice per la serie è un mondo estremamente simile al nostro, se non per gli essere che lo dominano: gli Altri (the Others). Namid ha creato tutte le creature esistenti ed oltre agli Altri, esseri dai diversi poteri tra cui la metamorfosi in animali, anche quelle creature terribili e meravigliose che sono le cassandra sangue. Come già il nome fa intuire, sono persone in grado di predire il futuro… tramite l’attento procedimento di tagliarsi con un rasoio. Ogni taglio è attentamente controllato perchè dia la miglior visione possibile e per questo è da tempo che le cassandra sangue vengono tenute “protette” in centri privati ad uso e consumo di coloro che possono permettersi i loro servigi. Le ragazze (non si conosce di cassandra sangue di sesso maschile) vengono quindi cresciute in cattività, addestrate meticolosamente, abusate e gettate via quando la loro utilitià si è ormai esaurita. Meg Corbyn, la protagonista, è una cassandra sangue fuggita da una di queste prigioni che, all’inizio del romanzo, trova rifugio presso il Lakeside Courtyard, un luogo di contatto costruito dagli Altri per poter interagire con gli umani, da loro ritenuti cibo intelligente. Ciò che colpisce il lettore immediatamente in questo romanzo è proprio il popolo degli Altri. Non sono persone, non è possibile identificarle come tali. Sono creature superiori, per forza o poteri paranormali, che ragionano come animali o forze della natura in grado di distruggere qualsiasi cosa gli si ponga di fronte, ma che hanno consapevolmente deciso di interagire con gli umani perché loro utili dato che li riforniscono di invenzioni e creazioni. La terra è di loro proprietà e solo grazie a concessioni gi umani hanno potuto costruire i loro insediamenti e prosperare. Il rapporto tra le due specie però rimane estremamente fragile, qualsiasi paso falso umano (solitamente dovuto ad arroganza e sconsideratezza) può portare a conseguenze terrificanti come la completa distruzione di un insediamento. Sarà l’incontro tra una ingenua e spaesata cassandra sangue (comunque umana anche se speciale) e questi esseri a far iniziare, in questo primo romanzo, qualcosa di unico e mai visto prima. Politica, intrighi, nuove scoperte, assassinii a sangue freddo… questo e molto altro è Written in Red. Un libro davvero da non lasciarsi sfuggire.

REVIEW | Shelly LAURENSTON: The Unleashing (Call of Craws #1)

by azurestrawberry // 3 Giugno 2015 // No Comments


Rating:
Editore	Kensington
ISBN	9781617735059
Prezzo	$ 15.00 paperback $ 9.99 ebook
Pagine	373
Uscita	31 march 2015
Acquista	LaFeltrinelli.it \| Amazon \| MondadoriStore \| IBS.it Barnes&Noble
Recensioni	Anobii \| Goodreads

WINGING IT

Kera Watson never expected to face death behind a Los Angeles coffee shop. Not after surviving two tours lugging an M16 around the Middle East. If it wasn’t for her hot Viking customer showing up too late to help, nobody would even see her die.

In uncountable years of service to the Allfather Odin, Ludvig “Vig” Rundstrom has never seen anyone kick ass with quite as much style as Kera. He knows one way to save her life—but she might not like it. Signing up with the Crows will get Kera a new set of battle buddies: cackling, gossiping, squabbling, party-hearty women. With wings. So not the Marines.

But Vig can’t give up on someone as special as Kera. With a storm of oh-crap magic speeding straight for L.A., survival will depend on combining their strengths: Kera’s discipline, Vig’s loyalty… and the Crows’ sheer love of battle. Boy, are they in trouble.

review
The best book I’ve read since this year started. Period.
This book was exactly what I needed to read. Not some cheesy romance but something paranormally funny and refreshing. Yeah, ok…if truth has to be told, there is a bit of cheesy romance here too but there are also big, bad Vikings so things are balanced for me. XD

As usual the book is not at all perfect. It’s always a matter of moment/needs/likings that flash green or red lights in my reader mind. Even if the good part of the story starts only near the middle of the book, when the real action begins and the basic knowledge required to understand things is settled for all the parties involved (means both the reader and Kera), the overall feeling was definitely a BIG green. In the first part, there was a bit of confusion and sometimes I felt irritated with Kera and the other Crows, this group of powerful women who are the harbingers of death. Given a second chance in life by the Goddess Skuld (for whom they work) they are, after entering the Crows Clan, part of the Norse pantheon of Clans in wait of Ragnarok, the great and final battle. However they are also noisy, blood thirsty, cat-fight-loving, rowdy women and Kera, has an ex Marine with OC syndrome and the “new girl” in the Clans, finds herself in the middle of a major complicated mess.

Anyway, I liked very much the way the author used the Norse mythology for her story, even if I was often picturing in my head the “Marvel movies” Thor every time I was reading about the Raven Clan (you’ll undersand when you’ll read this). Finally, I absolutely loved Vig, the big bear of a Vinking that helps Kera in her new life, and Brodie, the cutest pitt-bull ever in the history of books… but I hope Kera will grow and settle in her Crow new status because she really needs it.

A couple of my favourite quotes from the book:

Vig walked back to his truck. That’s when Stieg drily asked, “Do you need another minute to blush coquettishly and dream about your perfect white wedding?” As Vig walked around the front of his vehicle, he grabbed Stieg by the hair and slammed him face-first into the hood.

…

“Okay then.” She nodded. “Then let’s do this.”
“Now before we start, there is one thing you always need to keep in mind during this process.”
“What?”
“That everyone, at some point in their life, wants to fly. And soon you’ll actually be doing it.”
“Which means . . . what? Exactly.”
“That you’re better than everyone else.”

Ultime Review/Last reviews

R: fantasy&co.