The Wicked and the Just: A Review

Cecily’s father ruins her life abruptly and irrevocably when he announces his plan to move them to Caernarvon in occupied Wales. The King needs good Englishmen to manage the newly-acquired Welsh lands and teach the primitive Welshman how to behave. Cecily wants none of it but at least she will finally be the lady of the house. Even if it is a house among barbarians.

Unfortunately for Cecily her initial misgivings about Wales are confirmed when she discovers the native Welsh speak something that barely sounds like a language as well as being impudent and rude. Though they are at least Christians–supposedly. In addition to being saddled with a surly Welsh servant girl she cannot dismiss, Cecily is also looked down upon by the local honesti who consider her little better than the Welsh peasants.

Gwenhwyfar is equally unhappy as servant to the brat. While she scrambles to find enough food for herself and her family, Gwenhwyfar watches Cecily leading the life that rightfully belongs to Gwenhwyfar and the other displaced Welshmen. The English took everything from Gwenhwyfar and her people. Now all she can do is watch and try not to starve.

As the English take and take, frustration grows among the Welsh. As tensions rise both Cecily and Gwenhwyfar will be caught up in the disastrous moment when the tension finally has to break and there will be justice for those who deserve it in The Wicked and the Just (2012) by J. Anderson Coats.

The Wicked and the Just is Coats’ first novel.

Set in the years of 1293 and 1294 Coats expertly* captures a volatile period in history for Wales.

While I enjoy a great many historical novels, I usually do not gravitate toward medieval period books. In addition to being a period I know little about, it is also not always an area of high interest. That said, there was something about The Wicked and the Just that made me want to read it.

Perhaps you already know why 1293 marks an important time for Wales in history. I did not. I have to say going in knowing nothing save that Welsh is unpronounceable when I try to read it made for a dramatic finish to The Wicked and the Just. An ending, I might add, that completely took me by surprise.

With segments told from both Cecily and Gwenhwyfar’s points of view, the book is well-rounded and examines the tensions within the Welsh town of Caernarvon from every angle. While that makes The Wicked and the Just an excellent look at the period, it does not make for many likable characters. Every character has redeeming qualities, but each one is also very nasty. There is justice for those who deserve it, but there is also name-calling, pettiness, and plain old cruelty along the way making for a mid-point where almost no character warrants much admiration.

Coats ends the book with a historical note explaining the politics of the period that Cecily and Gwenhwyfar either ignored or only alluded to during the actual story. While historical events are explained and relatively resolved, much is left up in the air for the characters. While the lack of closure makes sense given the content of the story, I must admit it does leave quite a few questions about what happens to Cecily and Gwenhwyfar as well as some other secondary characters.

Coats’ writing is clear and hauntingly evocative of the period in this story of many, many displaced people. As much as any book can, The Wicked and the Just brings medieval Wales to life.

*I’m not kidding when I say expertly. In addition to being a fellow Master of Library Science, Coats has a master’s degree in history.

Possible Pairings: Black Potatoes by Susan Campbell Bartoletti, Finnikin of the Rock by Melina Marchetta, The Outlaws of Sherwood by Robin McKinley, Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan, Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys
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Clockwork Prince: A Chick Lit Wednesday Review

Only in London a short time, Tessa Gray’s world has already been turned upside by her brother’s betrayal and the discovery of her own strange ability. With the help of her unlikely Shadowhunter friends, Tessa has managed to make some order from the chaos of lies and mystery that surrounds her.

That order proves tenuous when rival Shadowhunters seek to displace Charlotte and her husband as heads of the London Institute. With Charlotte’s position in doubt, so too is Tessa’s place in the only home she has known since leaving New York City. If Charlotte can find the Magister, the villain cloaked in secrecy who wants to use Tessa’s powers in his mission to destroy all Shadowhunters, her position will be secured. But what if she can’t?

As Tessa helps in the search for the Magister, her future place in London is not the only dilemma presented to her. Why is Jessamine sneaking off so often? What madness leads Will to move so violently between passion and cruelty? Why does her heart still ache so much just to see him? And what of Jem, Tessa’s quiet, steadfast companion in all of this chaos?

With so many secrets, it is unclear which truths should be told and which should remain hidden in Clockwork Prince (2011) by Cassandra Clare.

Clockwork Prince is the second book in Clare’s Infernal Devices series, preceded by Clockwork Angel. This trilogy is a companion to Clare’s Mortal Instruments series which begins with City of Bones.

It’s hard to review books that are part of a series because, particularly in the case of this book, you cannot read just one book. Things are even more complicated when the series ties back to a completely different, longer, series.

That said, if the idea of a quasi-steampunk Victorian London where the descendants of angels fight monsters (even while befriending one of those “monsters” who happens to be a warlock) this is the series for you. But don’t start here. Go read Clockwork Angel first then come back to read this review.

Clockwork Prince is simultaneously compelling and painfully frustrating. Many questions from the first book (particularly about Will’s . . . affliction) are answered. Some of the answers are satisfying and add to the story. Some of them add to the general annoyance I had while reading the book.

Neither being or knowing the author, I’m not really qualified to say what each character would or would not do. BUT, for this one reader, it felt a lot like every single character walked through the book doing the wrong things. Worse, they seemed to be doing them for all the wrong reasons. Will all be resolved to my satisfaction in book three? Maybe. Then again, maybe not. Finding the answer to that question (aside from my genuine fondness for these characters and this series) is enough to guarantee I will eagerly await the release of Clockwork Princess in 2013.

Clare’s writing remains top-notch here. While the larger plot does take a back seat to character development, Clockwork Prince sets readers up for what is sure to be a stunning conclusion to a clever trilogy.

Possible Pairings: Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte, City of Bones by Cassandra Clare, A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens, Incarceron by Catherine Fisher, Sabriel by Garth Nix,  Snowfall by K. M. Peyton, The Amulet of Samarkand by Jonathan Stroud
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The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight: A Chick Lit Wednesday Review

“There are so many ways it could have all turned out different.”

If she hadn’t forgotten the book, if she had tried on the dress sooner. If she hadn’t given herself a paper cut while printing her ticket, or lost her cell phone charger, if there hadn’t been traffic on the way to the airport. If she hadn’t missed the exit, or had run a bit faster to the gate.

Maybe it wouldn’t have mattered anyway. Who ever heard of a plan leaving on time? Who would have thought that four minutes could change everything?

Instead of being on her plane, Hadley is trapped in the crowded airport watching it leave for England–without her–as she contemplates whether it will be worse to be late for her father’s second wedding or to miss it altogether. It should be one of the worst days of her life.

But, somehow, it isn’t. Instead Hadley meets the perfect boy in the airport waiting area. His name is Oliver. He is 18C. Hadley is 18A. And, somehow, through twists of fate and strange coincidences Hadley’s worst day might turn into something better in The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight (2012) by Jennifer E. Smith.

Set over the course of twenty-four hours (with chapter headings that include the time in both Eastern Standard and Greenwich Mean Time), The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight is a fast, funny  read.

Smith perfectly captures the dizzying feelings of serendipity and chance in her writing. Hadley and Oliver are both realistic, witty characters that readers will root for throughout the story. Strangely for a novel set largely in an airport waiting terminal and on an airplane itself, Smith’s settings are strongly evocative bringing Hadley’s fear of small spaces and the daunting foreign landscape of London to life.

What makes The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight especially appealing is that it packs so much into such a small book (256 pages, hardcover). As the title suggests there is, of course, a love story but Smith also expertly captures the essences of both Hadley and Oliver’s characters while also writing a refreshingly honest story about family and dealing with the consequences of divorce.

Possible Pairings: Dash and Lily’s Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan, What Happened to Goodbye by Sarah Dessen, Our Mutual Friend by Charles Dickens, An Abundance of Katherines by John Green, The Last Little Blue Envelope by Maureen Johnson, The Miles Between by Mary E. Pearson, Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

*This book was acquired for review from the publisher at BEA 2011

I’m also giving away an ARC of the book starting tomorrow!

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Dark Souls: A Chick Lit Wednesday Review

After the accident last summer, nothing has been the same for sixteen-year-old Miranda. Her best friend, really her only friend, is gone. Her brother can’t stand small spaces or driving anymore. And Miranda, well, she can see ghosts.

When the chance to take a family vacation in York, England arrives, Miranda’s parents jump at the chance. A little family time can only help everyone. Almost everyone.

York is one of the most haunted cities in the world. How can Miranda deal with seeing ghosts when she is surrounded by them, her family doesn’t know about it, and she barely understands this new ability herself?

Then Miranda meets Nick, an intense Goth boy who might be able to answer all of her ghost-related questions. With Nick to show her the ropes and the painfully beautiful ghost in the attic across the way, maybe seeing ghosts won’t be so bad after all.

Or maybe things are as bad as Miranda thought. If no one intervenes, something bad is going to happen and Miranda seems to the only one who can stop it–no matter how much she wishes she wasn’t in Dark Souls (2011) by Paula Morris.

I was of two minds about this book.

On the one hand, Dark Souls read more like a middle grade novel than a young adult title. Without age cues written into the story I would have pegged Miranda at fourteen and her brother at sixteen (rather than their stated ages of sixteen and eighteen, respectively). Some aspects of the story also felt predictable or obvious–I realized details before Miranda did even though she really should have been on board and know what was going on herself. Again, this would have been easier to let slide in a middle grade novel where the readers/characters are significantly younger than me rather than just a bit younger.

On the other hand, Dark Souls is a nice traditional ghost story. No all-consuming romance, almost no love interest at all. It’s refreshing when so many paranormal books have romance tagged onto the end of that descriptor nowadays. Morris gets back to basics with some dubious ghosts, a mysterious friend, and a plot that needs to be unraveled. And it is those basics that make Dark Souls work as much as it does. This book is a good one for readers who want to be left spooked rather than swooning.

Possible Pairings: The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson, The Boneshaker by Kate Milford, Bliss by Lauren Myracle, Clockwork by Philip Pullman
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The Name of the Star: A Chick Lit Wednesday Review

Rory Deveaux’s parents decided a long time ago that it would be good for all of them to spend some time living outside of Louisiana which is how Rory finds herself arriving at a London boarding school the September of her senior year while her parents begin a teaching sabbatical in Bristol.

Rory isn’t sure what to expect of England much less her English school–especially when she finds out she will be playing hockey every single day as part of her curriculum. Rory’s expectations become unimportant soon enough when something strange happens.

Someone is killing London women and mimicking the gruesome crimes of Jack the Ripper–the notorious killer who terrorized London in the autumn of 1888 without ever being captured or even identified. The modern-day murders leave few leads. Nothing shows up on camera. No one sees anything. Still the murders continue as “Rippermania” grips the city.

In the midst of the murders something even stranger happens to Rory. She sees a man the night before a body is found on school grounds. Rory knows what she saw. But her roommate was with her and saw nothing. It can’t be coincidence. But can it really be the New Ripper?

An outsider in every way, Rory soon finds herself at center of the investigation of the Ripper murders. As she learns more about the crimes and the suspect, Rory learns she is also at the center of something else–something stranger and possibly much more dangerous in The Name of the Star (2011) by Maureen Johnson.

The Name of the Star is the first book in Johnson’s Shades of London series.

Starting with details from the original Ripper murders, Johnson creates a tense mystery all her own in The Name of the Star.  Suspense blends with the supernatural as Rory learns more about the Ripper (new and old) and also about her own strange connection to the investigation.

Rory is a completely likable, authentic heroine. Her take on London and English boarding school, colored by her Southern sensibilities, adds much needed wit and humor to what could have been an otherwise horribly grim story.By the middle of the novel Johnson turns everything upside down taking the story in a surprising direction and introducing many of my favorite characters.*

In addition to her usual humor, Johnson keeps the writing her tense building suspense to nearly unbearable levels by the last quarter of the novel.

In addition to being a mystery with a unique setting, The Name of the Star is filled with twists and not a few surprises that will keep readers guessing well past the last page–not to mention leaving readers extremely eager for the next Shades of London book.

The Name of the Star is an exceptional start to what I fully expect to be a brilliant series.

*Team Stephen forever! In all seriousness though, I think the latter half of the novel is more indicative of the direction the series will take in the next book and I’m really excited to see if I’m right. Reading more about Stephen is just an added bonus.

Possible Pairings: White Cat by Holly Black, Heist Society by Ally Carter, Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly, Hourglass by Myra McEntire, The Demon’s Lexicon by Sarah Rees Brennan, The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater, Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

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The Demon’s Surrender: A Chick Lit Wednesday Review

Just one year ago Cynthia Davies thought her place at the Goblin Market was assured. The darling of Market’s leader, a talented dancer, Sin Davies is Market royalty in every possible way. Sin had thought that made her the obvious choice as the heir to the Goblin Market. Sin actually thought it made her the only choice.

Then Mae Crawford showed up and usurped Sin’s rightful place, forcing Sin to fight desperately for her place as the Market’s heir.

Good thing Sin is used to fighting for what she wants. Every day she struggles to keep her younger siblings Lydie and Toby safe. Lately she has also had to wrangle her feelings for the infuriating Alan Ryves. Once little more than a tall, irritatingly smart, thorn in her side Sin now owes Alan a debt that can never be repaid. And Sin doesn’t like owing anything to anyone.

As time runs out for Sin to stake her claim to the Market, outside threats are also closing in. Mae’s own brother has joined the magician’s that want to kill them all and destroy the market. While the loyalties of Alan’s brother remain perilously uncertain. Nick, Sin’s favorite dance partner and a dangerous demon, might still have an allegiance to his brother Alan. Or he might destroy them all.

Victory will come at a cost for all of them. Will the price be more than Sin can pay in The Demon’s Surrender (2011) by Sarah Rees Brennan.

The Demon’s Surrender is the conclusion of Rees Brennan’s Demon’s Lexicon Trilogy. It is preceeded by The Demon’s Lexicon and The Demon’s Covenant–the first and second books respectively.

In the first book readers met Nick Ryves and learned the startling truth of his past. In book two readers learned more about Mae, her brother Jamie, and the dangers of dealing with magicians. Throughout both books Sin appeared as an attractive, athletic and integral part of the Goblin Market.

Readers did not learn much more about this often aloof heroine until this final book which is told from Sin’s point of view. Lacking a frame of reference for Sin’s personality–it was a little worrisome to know an entire book, not to mention the conclusion of the trilogy, would be told from her point of view.

Turns out there was absolutely nothing to worry about.

Reading about Sin in The Demon’s Surrender was a revelation as Rees Brennan reveals more and more facets of Sin’s personality. An athletic dancer, Sin plays many roles. Some things don’t come easily to her and often she struggles with her responsibilities. She is multi-layered, tough and so much fun to follow throughout the story. As events unfold it is soon obvious that Sin really is the perfect character to wrap up this stunning trilogy.

While Mae and Jamie take a back seat in this installment (after featuring heavily in books one and two), Nick and Alan remain major characters. In fact, having a Sin book turned out to be the next best thing to an actual Alan book.

It’s hard to review the conclusion of a trilogy without revealing too much or explaining too much of the first books. All you really need to know is Rees Brennan’s writing remains taut and seamless as she works out twists, turns and lots of action.

The Demon’s Surrender is a perfect conclusion to a beloved trilogy wrapping up events appropriately and giving the characters some kind of closure while showing that Rees Brennan still has a lot of tricks up her sleeve. I can’t wait to see what she has in store for readers in her next series.

Possible Pairings: White Cat by Holly Black, City of Bones by Cassandra Clare, Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl, Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins, The Amulet of Samarkand by Jonathan Stroud, The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner, Peeps by Scott Westerfeld
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The Game of Triumphs: A Review

Fifteen-year-old Cat is well acquainted with London’s seamy underside–one perk of living across from a casino and on the same block as a strip joint. The tawdry Soho neighborhood doesn’t bother her. Cat is used to moving around with her aunt/guardian Bel. She’s used to blending into the background and being invisible. Neighborhoods don’t change that.

But a mysterious game played out on the streets of London and in a strange world called the Arcanum can change everything. A chance encounter on the Tube draws Cat in the dangerous but alluring world of the Game of Triumphs where players use Tarot cards imbued with powers to compete for the ultimate triumph–fame, fortune, justice or something else entirely–it can all be yours with the turn of a card.

Cat doesn’t play games and she doesn’t believe in any of the Game’s magic nonsense. But as Cat learns more about the Game she realizes this isn’t the first time she encountered the Game. Playing can be deadly but with stakes so high surely the rewards are worth the risk in The Game of Triumps (2011)* by Laura Powell.

The Game of Triumphs draws heavily from Tarot cards for the symbolism behind the Game’s cards and the nuances of their play within the Game. As someone with a passing interest Tarot and card games, I was immediately drawn to this book (the intriguing cover didn’t hurt either). Unfortunately, the book did not live up to my expectations.

Cat is a surly heroine, determined to go it alone even if that might be to her own detriment. Her reluctance to accept help or any kind of support got old very fast. Similarly her dismissive tones about Tarot and role playing games were irritating–particularly as her attitude persisted even as she drew deeper into the game. While Powell went to great pains to explain Cat’s past and her motivations, none of it ever felt truly authentic.

Her companions in the novel felt similarly one dimensional, partly because they were introduced so late in the story and partly because I never connected with any of them. Worse, the characters never seemed to connect with each other instead merely falling in together for lack of better options.

The world Powell has created as well as the Game itself are very complex and well-realized. While readers will start the book as confused about things as Cat Powell quickly explains everything readers need to know. Sadly, with so much setup for the background of the story, the actual plot felt rushed with most of the action being packed into the last hundred pages of the novel.

On one hand, that makes The Game of Triumphs a book that moves rather slowly with an abrupt ending. On the other hand, there is now the potential that the sequel The Master of Misrule** will be a much stronger, much more exciting book. Only time will tell.

*This book was originally published in the UK in 2009.

**The Lord of Misrule was published in the UK in 2010. Since the first book was picked up for US publication by Knopf it stands to reason that the sequel will eventually make its way here as well.

Possible Pairings: Rise of the Darklings by Paul Crilley, Incarceron by Catherine Fisher, The Card Turner by Louis Sachar, Misfit by Jon Skovron

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The Last Little Blue Envelope: A Chick Lit Wednesday Review

When Ginny Blackstone received thirteen little blue envelopes last summer she recognized them for what they were: a wild adventure laid out by her Aunt Peg–Ginny’s wildly interesting relative who could never do anything the simple, mundane way.

The envelopes led Ginny to England and on an adventure across Europe. Along the way Ginny learned a lot about her aunt and even more about herself. Until her adventure was cut short when the last little blue envelope was stolen. Even without that final piece, without that bit of closure, Ginny knows following the rules in the envelopes was the most exciting thing she has ever done. Too bad she can’t explain any of that in 1000 words for her college application essay.

Months later, Ginny is struggling with those college applications. She is still wondering about that last blue envelope.

Then an inscrutable English boy offers Ginny the last little blue envelope. For a price. She doesn’t much like Oliver. She definitely doesn’t trust him. And she knows he has his own agenda. But she also knows she has to accept his offer. It’s what Aunt Peg would do and, now, it’s what Ginny needs to do.

This last piece of Ginny’s adventure has no rules. It will lead her back to familiar sites and old friends. It will test Ginny’s mettle, and maybe even her sanity when it comes to dealing with Oliver. This trip will be the stuff of a great college application (and a great story) in The Last Little Blue Envelope (2011) by Maureen Johnson.

The Last Little Blue Envelope is the sequel to Johnson’s earlier novel 13 Little Blue Envelopes.

More than a wonderful sequel, this book is a delightful story in its own right. Realistically, The Last Little Envelope probably cannot stand alone. But Johnson does provide a good balance of summary and new content to make the book work well. Readers will find everything they loved about 13 Little Blue Envelopes here along with a lot of new characters and more zany adventures across Europe.

The Last Little Blue Envelope answers all of the questions left unresolved in the first book and provides a satisfying conclusion to the myriad misadventures of Ginny Blackstone during her travels abroad. As always Johnson brings her pitch perfect humor and excellent pacing to this story. The Last Little Envelope is definitely a book that will leave you smiling.

Possible Pairings: Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly, Enchanted Ivy by Sarah Beth Durst, Dash and Lily’s Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan, Where I Belong by Gwendolyn Heasley

Exclusive Bonus Content: I love love love this cover which ties into the repackaging of the paperback. This is exactly how I pictured Ginny. Props to Jill Wachter who took the cover photo and Jill Bell who did the lettering.

Also, be sure to stop by Books are Wonderful to see her map of Ginny’s European Tour from 13 Little Blue Envelopes.
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My Invisible Boyfriend: A Chick Lit Wednesday Review

After a whole summer away from her friends, Heidi is thrilled for the start of the term and the chance to be one of the gang again.

But before she can say “frog girl” Fili has found the only other Goth at the Finch, Ludo is snogging a guy with piercings and peroxide blonde hair. Big Dai isn’t even big anymore. After a summer of intensive training he’s downright svelte. And dating Henry Kim.

Heidi is exactly the same except for her awesome, slightly dodgy looking, new trench coat. It’s kind of quirky and it looks exactly like something Mycroft Christie* would wear on Mycroft Christie Investigates while running about with the dashing Jori Song.

Heidi is fifteen. She isn’t very dashing. She didn’t have an exciting, transformative summer. She spent the summer working at The Little Leaf with her crazy boss while admiring her boss’ beautiful son Teddy from afar. Heidi is very single.

When Ludo assumes Heidi’s coat is from a boyfriend instead of the rubbish bin things start spinning out of control. Before Heidi can say OHM EYE GOD the assumption has become a rumor which has run off and become fact.**

Which leaves Heidi two options: Fess up and admit she’s the same, boring Heidi and say goodbye to her friends. Or she can make a boyfriend who is conveniently far away and solve all her problems.

Well, honestly, what would you do?

It’s not like a whole imaginary person can create that many problems. That is, until he does in My Invisible Boyfriend (2010) by Susie Day.

My Invisible Boyfriend is a comedy of errors in the truest sense of the phrase, which is actually appropriate since one of the big plot elements is Heidi’s involvement in a school production of Twelfth Night: The Musical (set in the 1980s). Over the course of the story Heidi’s made up boyfriend learns secrets, solves problems, and starts talking back to Heidi.

This is a funny book that moves really fast. Heidi is almost as adorable as the dashing Mycroft Christie she talks with in her head throughout the story. The other characters, sadly, are less compelling as they verge into one dimension with their EMPHATIC (and capitalized) talking or seemingly random jealousies.

Day blends a lot of fun elements together in a recipe for humor if not for the most well-developed plot. The fun premise suffers in the last quarter of the novel as Heidi almost literally flails trying to find out who knows her secret (and has started emailing her as “a real boy”) in all the wrong places. The plot is very true to traditional Shakespearean comedies but sadly lacking the voice of a wise fool to balance all the crazy and add a touch more depth to the characters.

My Invisible Boyfriend has a lot going for it but ultimately not much to set it apart. I loved Heidi except for painful denseness with the “real boy” in question, the writing is snappy (until the last quarter), and the peripheral characters are diverse and well chosen but not especially well developed. And ultimately that’s a whole lot of caveats for one short book.

*Mycroft is a made up character on a made up show (that I sooooooooo wish was real, even with the Horrible Beard and awful dead wife). As far as I can tell he is a cross between The Doctor, Captain Jack Harkness, and Sherlock from the new 21st Century remake. The book never says it overtly but I’m certain Rufus Sewell would be playing him. (Am I showing my geek cards by mentioning this?) Mycroft might have been my favorite character in this whole zany story.

**This sounds totally improbable as a premise except . . . it actually happened to me once. I have this boxy jacket that used to be fitted. But then I lost some weight and it was too big. And one day a woman at work saw me with it on and asked if it was my boyfriend’s. Being an idiot, I said yes before I understood the question. Of course I didn’t even have a boyfriend at the time. Not even a made up one.

Possible Pairings: Will by Maria Boyd, Bad Kitty by Michele Jaffe, Scarlett Fever by Maureen Johnson, Alice McLeod, Realist at Last by Susan Juby, Boy Meets Boy by David Levithan, The Boyfriend List by E. Lockhart, The Miles Between by Mary E. Pearson, The Teashop Girls by Laura Schaefer, Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare, Confessions of the Sullivan Sisters by Natalie Standiford, Dr. Who (television series), Sherlock (television series), Torchwood (television series)

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Rebel Angels: A Chick Lit Wednesday Review

The more Gemma Doyle learns about her visions and the magic that allows her to enter the Realms–a world beyond our own usually seen in dreams or death–the more questions she has. Gemma finally knows the truth about her mother and the mystical Order that she once belonged to . . . and helped destroy with her closest friend, Circe.

Now the magic is loose in the realms and Circe is hunting Gemma, her only way back to all of that magic. Kartik, Gemma’s mysterious shadow since leaving India, insists Gemma must bind the magic before disaster strikes. Which would be fine if Gemma had any idea how to do such a thing.

Worse, is it the Christmas season–Gemma’s first since her mother’s death. While her friends Felicity and Ann talk of balls and other wonderful plans for their time away from Spence Academy, Gemma is left to wonder what the holidays can hold at home with her strict grandmother, her irritating brother, and her feeble father.

The holiday season promises a world of distractions in the form of balls and the most intriguing form of one Simon Middleton–not to mention an introduction to the rarefied circles of high society. But Gemma has no time for distractions.

Questions will be answered, enemies will be fought, and Gemma will have to take her stand in Rebel Angels (2006) by Libba Bray.

Rebel Angels is the second book in the Gemma Doyle Trilogy (which began with A Great and Terrible Beauty). It is also one of those books where it is very clear that it is the second book in a trilogy, which is fine. The beginning of the story provides almost enough recap of earlier events to make it possible to read this book out of sequence though, as ever, many nuances would be lost that way.

While Rebel Angels is a continuation of an already exciting story, this book lacked some of the verve and spark of the first. With all of the summarizing the story starts slowly, picking up when Gemma and her friends depart from Spence for their holiday. While Gemma and Kartik evolve and change especially throughout this story, it felt like a lot of the other characters were working through the same emotions and the same problems readers saw in the first book.

That said, the second half of the book is much more exciting and faster paced than the first. Bray once again provides a vivid window into the world of 1895 London from the eyes of a heroine willing and ready to think for herself. The underlying commentary on the roles of women in Victorian England and feminism is also fascinating in a book that is ostensibly a historical fantasy.

As a whole the story is very interesting and aptly sets up the conclusion of the trilogy, of course, but Rebel Angels just lacked that little spark to set truly set it apart as a book in its own right.

Possible Pairings: Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins, The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane by Katherine Howe, Wildwood Dancing by Juliet Marillier, Paradise Lost by John Milton, Lirael by Garth Nix, The Ruby in the Smoke by Phillip Pullman

Exclusive Bonus Content: Although I really didn’t like this one as much as the first (and feel really really guilty about it!), this book did make me wish more academics read YA Lit. I love that academics can study popular culture and literature, but not everyone can write scholarly books and articles about Buffy and Harry Potter. Where are the articles about the feminist underpinnings of the Gemma Doyle books? Where is the commentary on this trilogy being a reflection of the evolution of feminism from the discovery of the Problem Without a Name in The Feminine Mystique to the Second Wave feminist movement? Where is the Feminist Theory/Women’s Studies class that has this series as assigned reading? No, seriously, where is it?

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