Sunday, November 10, 2013

The Widdershins Adventures

I discovered this series, by Ari Marmell,  last year at my local library, but I never blogged about it.
The first book, Thief''s Covenant follows the story of Widdershins, a young thief who had a chance at a better life, but had to go back to thievery.  She also has a god in her head, Olgun. As his only remaining follower, they will both die if she is killed. In the city of Davillion, where she lives, there is an evil monster after her. She is also in a dispute with an influential member of the Finders' Guild, the group all thieves in the city belong to. On top of all that the city watch wants to arrest her, even though she hasn't done anything illegal...well, at least not in front of them. When the Archbishop William de Laurent. comes to Davillion, his life is in danger and things get even more chaotic. 
Delivered in chapters that vary between the past events that led Widdershins to abandon her name and return to the streets, and the present, in multiple perspectives, Thief's Covenant is a wonderfully crafted novel.
The characters are witty, clever, and funny. Widdershins is a great character if you want a quick, slightly smart-aleck character with potentially questionable morals, but a good heart.
The second book, False Covenant, is out and I just read it. I think it is an excellent continuation of the series. There will be a third book coming out soon. 
I would recommend this book for teens thirteen or older. it has some violence, given several monster fighting scenes and some mildly inappropriate language, but it is an excellent story. 

Sunday, November 3, 2013

Halloween Horror

This blog is entirely suited to my taste of literature, which means that I usually don't cater at all to those teens who love horror books. Having been given a rather overactive imagination, I tend to steer away from the genre. But, I've decided to make a few suggestions based on what I have read.  To be frank, anything that  is on the list below is there for the sole reason that it gave me trouble sleeping when I accidentally read them (and it is entirely all too possible to accidentally read horror... I know form, personal experience).
1. Gone by Michael Grant (series)
2. Jade Green  by Phyllis Reynolds (It sounds like a it isn't scary based on the title but it is actually a very frightening ghost story)
 3. Deep, Dark, and Dangerous by May Downing Hahn (Don't ask how I accidentally read that one. I was a sixth grader with my head in the clouds when it happened. I somehow convinced myself that it wouldn't be scary. I also may have thought it was a story with magic. It isn't, unless  you count the very disturbing, angry ghost of a drowned girl as being magical.)
Again, these are not on here because I enjoyed them. They terrified me. But then again, I don't do horror, but I think that anyone who likes the genre should enjoy these. Happy Halloween!