On Audiobooks and a review: White Cat by Holly Black

On Audiobooks...

I listened to my first audiobook! I'd tried it in the past but found that I either tuned out or wanted to fast-forward through the weighty descriptions. I can't remember which book it was, but it wasn't the right book for my to be listening to on audiobook, clearly.

When I heard that Jesse Eisenberg had narrated White Cat, I downloaded it from my library to give it a try. I'd just seen Social Network and thought Jesse's performance was amazing. After poking around and watching interviews with him I am now completely charmed! Anyway, since White Cat was on my TBR list anyway, I gave it a try.

At first I admit that I did have trouble concentrating and kept tuning out (luckily I had read the first few chapters before so it didn't matter). When I did get into it though, I really enjoyed it. I was able to do dishes and read! I was able to sew and read! It was fantastic and Jesse's narration was perfect too.

The downside of course is that it takes so much longer to listen to an audiobook than it does to read, at least for me. On a Saturday when I was doing chores anyway though it was perfect.

Now for my review of White Cat...

White Cat by Holly Black - 4/5 stars

Holly Black said in an interview, that she was trying to think of a different system of magic. The 'apprentice' style had been done and the academic or school model had been done so she modeled the system of magic in her novel after organized crime. It works better than you'd expect and injects a new level of danger into the world.

It took me a little while to get my head around this style of curse working - that it's illegal to 'work' someone and the poltiics of the different crime families but once I did I really enjoyed the novel.

White Cat has mystery, intrigue, black market magic and a thoroughly charming narrator. Of course Cassel is a con man so it's no surprise that he's so charming.

I also really loved the family dynamics of White Cat. They're complicated and messy and never easy which of course just adds to the drama and mystery.

Overall, once I warmed to White Cat, I really enjoyed it. Holly Black is a master of her craft and she really shines in White Cat.

Definitely recommended to those who love a good con or want some magic with a twist.

(reviewed from an e-audio copy downloaded from my library)

Review of Red Glove to come Thursday!

Review: Dust City by Robert Paul Weston

Dust City by Robert Paul Weston - 4/5 stars

In Dust City, Weston asked the question, 'what if Fairy Tales were real? What if those characters evolved? What would that look like?' The result is a civilisation divided into hominids (humans, elves, goblins and the like) and animalia (everything else from wolves and foxes, to ravens and frogs). The fairies have seemingly left the building and their once powerful, life-changing fairy dust is sold on the street and by huge pharmaceutical companies for everything that ails you. The more expensive, the longer the effects.

When Henry, son of the big bad wolf, finds a letter from his dad implying that he was framed for double homicide (Little Red Riding Hood and her gran) by being forced to take bad dust, Henry breaks out of juvi to find out the truth behind his father's crime and whether the fairies have really left.

Naturally he's joined by a cast of characters including a giant, a she-wolf Fiona and a hominid, Jack (yes, that Jack with beans and all). While the premise may sound a bit camp, the actual novel is a gritty urban tale where fairy dust is equivalent to something like cocaine. Henry infiltrates a gang of dust dealers to find out the truth about his father and his various errands around the city make it clear that this is no fairytale.

I really liked Dust City because it reads like a fairy tale mash-up for guys, sort of like Fables (only for a younger audience). The world that Weston has created feels fleshed out and real and while the conclusion of the novel is a bit disappointing (or at least it was for a lover of fairytale happy endings like me), I still really enjoyed getting there.

Recommended for fans of fractured fairy tales and gritty urban fantasy. You can read an excerpt of Dust City on the main website, here!

(reviewed from a library copy)

Review: The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan

I wasn't planning on reading Lost Hero for the POC challenge but then I realized that two of the protagonists were visible minorities - hispanic and aboriginal - so there you go!

Five things I loved about Lost Hero

• awesome girls - I loved how he writes female characters. The heroines kick ass, the female villains are super powerful, and you DO NOT mess with these goddesses. (I also love Leo's mom, what we saw of her. As a Hispanic shop mechanic, she defies stereotypes)
• awesome boys - Okay, I have to say it, I loved how Jason respected Piper. He could have easily taken advantage of how Piper thought they used to date, but he didn't (to the point where you, and Piper, were like, 'you could take a little advantage. A kiss would be okay). I also loved Leo and his ridic crushes on demigods (not to mention all his ~issues. What a complex character)
• mythology - He always makes me want to get out a mythology book and look stuff up and geek out over mythology all day.
• diversity - not only were our heroes dealing with their demi-god identities, they were also dealing with cultural identities. For Piper, daughter of Aphrodite, being Cherokee is a big part of her identity but her father is often at odds with his two identities as a Cherokee and a Hollywood actor which sends mixed messages to Piper. I really liked how a lot of the heroes were visible minorities.
• setting - you guys, they came to Canada! :D They were also all over the USA, but Canada doesn't often make a cameo in big blockbuster American books so that made me super happy.

So who cares that it was like 200 pages too long. It was an awesome ride!

(reviewed from a library copy)

Review: Zombies vs. Unicorns ed. Holly Black and Justine Larbalestier

Zombies vs. Unicorns is an anthology I've been looking forward to ever since I heard there was such a thing. It didn't hurt that it was partially edited by Holly Black who I adore. Before reading the anthology, I thought I might actually be Team Unicorn. Not because I swoon over unicorns but more because I found zombies to be sort of gross and well, boring. I didn't love Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan (forgive me YA powers that be!) and have never actually seen a zombie movie.

That being said.... I think I am TEAM ZOMBIE! What?! How could this have happened?! Well, let me tell you: those were some awesome stories. Love Will Tear Us Apart by Alaya Dawn Johnson might be my favourite. I never thought I'd love a zombie love story so much. I loved Maureen Johnson's Children of the Revolution in which an Angelina Jolie-clone raises zombie children. Libba Bray's Prom Night was also really haunting but in a good way. A sad, but oddly moving story.

That isn't to say that I didn't like the unicorn stories - I did! I particularly loved Purity Test by Naomi Novik - and not only because it takes place in my favourite city, New York. Also really loved Diana Peterfreund's The Care and Feeding of Your Baby Killer Unicorn. Am thinking I may have to read her other unicorn stories!

What I really loved about this anthology was that it broke type. There were gross zombie stories and ethereal unicorn stories, sure, but there were also funny unicorn stories and touching zombie love stories (and those were the best ones).

It defied my expectations and made it one of my favourite short story anthologies that I've read in a long while. Definitely recommended!

reviewed from library copy