Waiting on Wednesday — Erin

Synopsis:  Following his bestselling 2006 debut, Before I Wake, Wiersema returns to his exquisitely plotted blend of supernatural thriller and domestic drama.

Novelist Christopher Knox began his writing career with a bang. The echo of that success still rings in his ears as he sets to work every morning on his second novel, ten years later. His wife feels like a single parent, and with Chris living in exile in a studio above their garage, it won't be long before she is.

Chris discovers a fantasy novel by an obscure author he loved as a child and gives it to his son, David. Father reads to son nightly, and To the Four Directions soon enthralls him. Until one night, when young David is reading alone, an inexplicable seizure leaves him in a mysterious state of unconsciousness. As his seizure recurs every night, his father learns that only one thing will calm it, a bedtime story from his strange new book.

Convinced that the secret of David's collapse is within its pages, Chris traverses the continent in search of the truth. Meanwhile, David wakes up within the story he has been reading, and as his father struggles to free him David struggles to survive, facing perils unimaginable in a world created to capture the hearts and souls of children like him. Both father and son are headed toward a fateful collision of worlds, and a showdown with ancient evils, both fictional and very real. 

This apparently just came out yesterday (I think.  All they show on Amazon is the Canadian version that was published in October, but  Robert Wiersema's website says it is on sale 11/2), but I wanted to mention Bedtime Story this week because it's been a while since reading a synopsis has hooked me like this one did.  It reminded me a bit of The Book of Lost Things, only perhaps from the father's perspective.  I really love that idea of getting literally sucked into a book.  It sounds like both a dream and nightmare to most book lovers.

I can't wait to get my hands on this one!  What are you guys looking forward to reading?


**Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine

Review - Raised By Wolves by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Summery (via Goodreads): Adopted by the Alpha of a werewolf pack after a rogue wolf brutally killed her parents right before her eyes, fifteen-year-old Bryn knows only pack life, and the rigid social hierarchy that controls it. That doesn't mean that she's averse to breaking a rule or two.

But when her curiosity gets the better of her and she discovers Chase, a new teen locked in a cage in her guardian's basement, and witnesses him turn into a wolf before her eyes, the horrific memories of her parents' murders return. Bryn becomes obsessed with getting her questions answered, and Chase is the only one who can provide the information she needs.

But in her drive to find the truth, will Bryn push too far beyond the constraints of the pack, forcing her to leave behind her friends, her family, and the identity that she's shaped?



Review: I’m a sucker for a good werewolf story, especially if it’s female-centric, so I was slightly put off at first when I realized Bryn wasn’t actually a werewolf, but as I got into the story she became such an engaging, irreverent character her mere “human-ness” didn’t matter much at all.

Barnes has an interesting take on the genre, creating almost “proxy werewolves” through the process of Marking, which makes select humans part of the wolf pack in every sense but the furriness. The pack dynamic itself is fascinating. The werewolves and those that are Marked have almost psychic bonds with each other. The scene where Bryn finally opens herself up to the pack mentally and emotionally is really poignant and makes you really understand what the members of the pack mean to each other. It actually made me tear up a little as I was reading.

I really loved all the female characters in Raised By Wolves. Every single one was strong and independent, yet very real and vulnerable. This looks like it’s the first in a series and I, for one, can’t wait to see what they do with the character of Kate, who I found absolutely adorable. I’m really interested to see how female werewolves, who are few and far between, grow up and develop in the pack. I almost hope we get a novel from Lake’s (Bryn’s werewolf friend) point of view.

Devon, Bryn’s best friend was also a really fascinating character. He undermined my ideas of “typical” werewolves in his obsession with Broadway musicals and designer labels, yet he didn’t lose one ounce of masculinity and wasn’t in any way reduced to a stereotype. Bryn’s relationship with Chase was a little quick and it took me a little while to adjust to their sudden closeness, but it definitely worked for me in the end.

What I loved most about Barnes’ novel was the way she took this masculine world that normally has women regulated to sexual objects, maternal figures, or victims and really created something new. Many other werewolf or shifter series have women that step into positions of power. Yet, they are merely given these positions by their male predecessors. In Raised By Wolves, Bryn creates an entirely new hierarchy for herself and others. Bryn, a character that, by traditional thought in the genre, should be weak as both human and female isn’t given any sort of power, but demands it and takes it, turning the whole dynamic of the pack on its head.

For a novel that could have easily been just a fun, thrilling YA fantasy, it’s really refreshing to be forced to think about gender roles, and see a strong female character set her own terms for how and where she fits into society (werewolf society or not).

Lit Snit Verdict: B+

Review - The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss

Summary: My name is Kvothe.

I have stolen princesses back from sleeping barrow kings. I burned down the town of Trebon. I have spent the night with Felurian and left with both my sanity and my life. I was expelled from the University at a younger age than most people are allowed in. I tread paths by moonlight that others fear to speak of during the day. I have talked to Gods, loved women, and written songs that make the minstrels weep.
You may have heard of me.

So begins a tale unequaled in fantasy literature—the story of a hero told in his own voice. It is a tale of sorrow, a tale of survival, a tale of one man’s search for meaning in his universe, and how that search, and the indomitable will that drove it, gave birth to a legend.

Review:

An Open Letter to Patrick Rothfuss

Dear Patrick Rothfuss,

I’ve just finished reading your first and only published book, The Name of the Wind, and I had some thought about it. Since I count myself a Harry Potter series snob, I tend to classify most fantasy works as sub-J. K. Rowling. This tendency was not working in your favor as I started The Name of the Wind. I mean, it’s hard to miss the similarities between the first installment of the Kingkiller Chronicle and the Harry Potter series. There are a few reasons for this: your story’s hero, Kvothe, is an incredibly talented young man with a chip on his shoulder involving the sad and mysterious past, and he dreams of gaining a university education in the magical arts so that he can seek revenge against a mystery-entangled enemy that goes by a name better left unmentioned. I was immediately dismayed by this rip-off-ish start and almost dismissed your book entirely. But I didn’t, and I soon discovered that despite the lack of originality in the story’s foundation, everything else you dreamed up was fresh and novel. By the time I finished it, Kvothe had surpassed being simply an adult version of Harry Potter. You delved deep into human emotion, something uncommon and unexpected in fantasy books. Your story exposed the dark and somber side of a hero’s existence and the danger of such brilliance to the human psyche. Kvothe is exceptional and admirable, but also cracked, and not only because of his sorrowful past. His brilliance chips away at his human essence. This doesn’t turn him evil, it does something much worse: it transforms him into a hero unsure of himself, a great legend that desires to be small and hidden from the world.

Thus, Mr. Rothfuss, upon the completion of part one of this series, I have found myself unexpectedly hooked to your work. You have deservedly earned the Quill Award for this initial effort and I suspect something better awaits all of us with the release of book number two of the Kingkiller Chronicle.*

Daniela

PS- Despite Kvothe's unique physical features, i must admit i had difficulty creating his face in my mind. Luckily one of your other fans had drawn up a version that really helped me out. I hope this Kvothe is close to the one you see when you write.

*Day two of Chronicler’s account, The Wiseman’s Fear (Kingkiller Chronicle, #2), is set for release on March 1, 2011.

Lit Snit Verdict: A