Archive for October, 2009

I saw The Vampire’s Assistant movie tonight with a few friends (sort of fitting for Halloween, right?). I had wanted to see this movie for awhile, I haven’t read the books yet, but I thought I would like the concept.

The movie stars Darren and Steve, best friends, and the Cirque du Freak–a cast of characters unlike any freak show you’ve ever heard of. Darren and Steve go to see the Cirque’s show when they come to town, and Darren’s actions after the show cause a spiral of events that leads to Darren becoming a half-vampire and serving the vampire of the Cirque, Crepsley. Unknown to Darren, he and Steve are the unwitting keys to beginning a vampire war, and a man named Mr. Tiny (who is not so tiny after all), will do anything he can to make sure that war begins.

Not having read the books, I was a little confused with the plot of the movie, especially at the beginning. Things happen fast, and you get a lot of background information in short segments. Eventually, the viewer begins to understand, and the cast becomes more familiar. You begin to see where the story is leading. I enjoyed the cast and John C. Reilly was a very interesting actor to watch–I for one had not seen him in many films where he did not play a very comedic character (Talladega Nights, anyone?) so this more serious role for him was very intriguing. Chris Massoglia, as Darren Shan, did an excellent job at evolving from goody-two-shoes Darren to the vampire’s assistant.

I think this movie was appropriate for a wide variety of ages and would be interesting even to adults. I’m interested to see if they make any more films in this series. The movie left it open for future stories, but I am not sure if the movie made enough money during this release to allow for any future films to be made. Anyone interested in “freak” stories – go check this out! You’ll be sure to be intrigued.

Thomas wakes up in a metal box. He doesn’t remember anything but his name–his past, his family, his life, all forgotten. Outside of the box is the Glade, where a group of boys live, all working towards one goal: solve the Maze around the Glade and escape. After 2 years of being trapped there, you’d think they would have found a way out by now, right? But there are several problems:

The maze changes every night.

The doors to the maze close at dusk.

And during the night, mechanical beasts the boys call Grievers inhabit the maze, killing or stinging any boy they come across.

But Thomas is the catalyst for change, and his arrival at the Glade brings confusion and devastation the boys have yet to experience.

The Maze Runner, by James Dashner, is a thriller for teens–suspenseful, exciting, and terribly confusing (in a good way). A few of the many questions I had in mind throughout: How did the boys get in the maze? Who put them there? Is this an experiment? WHY?

A few questions are answered by the end of the book, but not nearly enough, which is why this is part of a trilogy. I wish some of the overlying questions had been answered further. I haven’t encountered many books in the YA genre that end on a cliff-hanger, even ones in a series, but this novel definitely leaves you wanting more. A great book for young boys and girls alike with a very unique story that will keep you intrigued.

For More: Check out James Dashner’s blog and visit here for a great trailer for the book!

I’ve finally finished Fire by Kristin Cashore. I purchased the book several weeks ago when it came out–couldn’t wait to get my hands on it! I never reviewed Graceling here, but it has become one of my favorite books. Probably of all time! See, I’m a big fan of Tamora Pierce and her world of Tortall, filled with magic, knights, romance, and great stories and characters. Graceling, and now Fire, reminded me vividly of Pierce’s worlds, in a new and different way.

In Fire, Cashore takes us to the Dells, a strange country inhabited by creatures called monsters–they look like normal animals, but are every color of the rainbow, and have the power to control your mind with their beauty. Fire is a person, a young woman, that is the last living human monster, born of a human monster father, and a normal human mother. She is breathtakingly beautiful, with hair every color of orange, red, and pink (which is where her name comes from). Her mind is strong, and she has the mental power so hear others thoughts and control them, if their mind is not closed to her.

Fire’s story is complex and would be hard to describe in much detail here, so I’ll give you the basics. The Dells has had civil crisis for many years now, all the way back to when Fire’s father, Castrel, was alive, in power, and close confidante of the king. Castrel used his monster powers for evil with everyone, especially the king–but not with Fire. Through a series of events, the king died, and as did Castrel, and the king’s sons, Nash and Brigan were put into power.

This is where Fire’s story really begins, in her own lands outside the main cities of the Dells. She lives near her friend from childhood, Archer, and the man that really raised her, his father,, Lord Brocker. Every day, her life and safety is in jeopardy because of her heritage. Monsters can’t help but try to attack her when they see her beauty. So, she must hide her hair, and learn to protect herself. After being injured by an outsider to the area, Fire accompanies Archer and his men to visit the queen (the dead king’s wife) while he hopes to obtain more men to help protect their lands. While there, Fire encounters the new king, Nash, and his brother Brigan. This meeting of the brothers and Fire leads to the great adventure she has in this book: her journey across the Dells to the city, and her attempts to help lay down the upcoming war using her mental powers.

What is so great about Fire? First, the plot. The plot is interestingly complex and extremely suspenseful. It has all the greatness of an adventure novel, with a full-blown fantasy world tied in. Cashore creates a novel that can stand up to many of the great fantasy novels of our time, while also keeping the story engaging for readers that enjoy romance and books for young adults. The characters, despite their otherworldliness, are amazingly relatable. Also, the characters are well-written, with personality, faults, and greatness. You can’t help but love her characters and this strange world she’s put them in.

You don’t need to have read Graceling to read Fire. The stories are completely separate, but in a way their stories overlap and in the way Cashore writes and describes the Dells and the characters, you know it is one part of the puzzle. Graceling is another part, and I do recommend a read of it, before or after Fire (Graceling actually comes after Fire, chronologically).

Get this book and read it now, and you won’t be sorry you did! I especially recommend this book for fans of Tamora Pierce, Christopher Paolini, Garth Nix, and Shannon Hale’s Books of Bayern. I know you’ll love this one!

For More: Visit Kristin Cashore’s blog!

I have been very busy as you can probably tell by my lack of posts. School and work have kept me going nonstop for the past few weeks. It has been difficult to keep up with everything, but I am actually coming close to the end of this semester. There are about 4 weeks left, and then I won’t have any classes until January. I’m sure I will have plenty of time to blog about books once my classes are finished this semester, and I am so excited to talk about some of my favorites that were just recently published!

One of my favorite authors that I began reading in the past year is Shannon Hale. I started with Princess Academy, then read her book for adults, Austenland, and then moved on to the Books of Bayern, which began with The Goose Girl. I’m a big fan of all her work that I have read thus far. She has a way of visualizing little known tales and making them feel like new classics in their own right.

Book of a Thousand Days is the story of Dashti, a mucker maid, and her mistress Lady Saren, daughter of the leader of one of the areas of some ancient land that seems similar to ancient China/Mongolia. Saren is imprisoned in a tower with Dashti for years because she refused to marry a man chosen by her father. Dasthi keeps a journal telling the tale of their existence in the tower, while also hoping that Saren’s chosen, a khan leader of another district, comes to their rescue.

Book of a Thousand Days is much more than a fairy tale–it is a tale of growth and coming into your own. Dasthi begins as a shy, timid young woman, bending to her mistress’ will and serving her faithfully. Through the trial and tribulations of their confinement, and their adventures after they finally escape, she blossoms into a strong, confident young woman that cherishes the ones she loves and fights to keep them safe.

Any lover of lyrical, beautiful tales with a strong heroine, adventure, and romance, will enjoy Book of a Thousand Days. I also recommend the Books of Bayern series by Shannon Hale which share a very similar style of storytelling.