For the first time in a long while, this past weekend I found myself without a deadline to complete for Monday; I also wasn’t fresh from a deadline completed on the previous Friday (an event which usually requires a day of do-nothing downtime).
Which is why this past weekend turned into a weekend of reading for me. I had a glorious time!
The Warrior Heir, by Cinda Williams Chima
I started with The Warrior Heir, by Cinda Williams Chima. I would love to give credit to the blogger who originally added this book to my TBR list, but unfortunately I must have stumbled on this book before I started using Diigo to bookmark TBRs.
I know that I discovered this title as a result of another blog, because when I picked it up from the library (I had put in a request for it) I didn’t even recognize the title! It wasn’t until I read the jacket copy that I vaguely remembered reading something about it online.
So, whoever you are – thank you very much! I started my reading spree this weekend with The Warrior Heir, and I enjoyed the book immensely. I ended up putting in requests at the library for the two sequels (both of which were checked out) and I’m keeping my fingers crossed that they will come in (1) in the proper order for reading and (2) during a period where I am not flooded with deadlines.
Set initially in the small town of Trinity, Ohio, the novel tells the story of Jack, a bright high school kid who one day forgets to take the medicine he’s taken every day of his life, and discovers he’s not who he’s always thought himself to be. Soon he’s immersed in an astonishing world of magical beings, with a tie-in to the War of the Roses.
I really enjoyed the world-building in The Warrior Heir; urban fantasy remains a favorite of mine, but I’ve read enough in the genre to know that building a realistic world that fits snugly within our own modern world can be challenging. Chima pulls it off with aplomb, and offers up a great cast of characters and a gripping storyline as well.
Devil’s Kiss, by Sarwat Chadda
Fresh from finishing The Warrior Heir, I plunged into Devil’s Kiss, by Sarwat Chadda. In this darker novel, the order of the Knights Templar still exists, headquartered in Middle Temple in contemporary London, and its latest member is 16-year-old Billi SanGreal, the only female in the order – and Billi’s not at all certain she wants to live the harsh, violent life of a Templar.
This was another exciting read, although I did enjoy The Warrior Heir more. At times I found Billi to be just a little too full of angst for my taste – her desire for a normal teenage life is certainly understandable but she sometimes got too whiny and obstinate about it. After all, a small dose of angst goes a long way when there are terrible creatures to be fought and you and your fellow Knights are the only thing standing between humanity and the evil that seeks to plague them. For the most part, though, I enjoyed her character, the storyline and the alternate world of the Knights Templar, filled as it is with mysticism, conflict and evil creatures.
Not to mention, Devil’s Kiss has one of the most compelling first lines I’ve read in a while:
Killing him should be easy; he’s only six.
What an irresistible opening line!
The Forever King, by Molly Cochran and Warren Murphy
After finishing Devil’s Kiss, I found myself still hungry for urban fantasy, so I decided to go for a reread next.
The Forever King, by Molly Cochran and Warren Murphy is an old favorite of mine. The book begins in New York City, where we meet Hal Woczniak, an alcoholic ex-FBI agent, Arthur Blessing, a ten-year-old orphan who lives with his Aunt Emily and a mysterious older gentleman by the name of Mr. Taliesin. Meanwhile, in a psychiatric hospital in England, a serial killer with no name who had entombed his victims in sculptures puts into motion a plan of escape.
The action moves quickly from the very start, and the storyline goes back and forth from contemporary to historical times. It is, as the title implies, a retelling of the Arthurian legend, with both a historical and a contemporary twist. At its core is the age-old fight for the Grail, a cup made of an unknown substance with miraculous healing powers.
Unfortunately, the book is no longer in print, but if you enjoy novels that involve Arthurian legend and a contemporary setting, this is a book to grab if you ever see a used copy floating around.
Inkheart, by Cornelia Funke
And finally, at long last, I started Inkheart, by Cornelia Funke. This book has been in my TBR pile for a long time now, and it seemed like a natural book to reach for this weekend, since I was immersing myself in urban fantasy.
I’m in the middle of the book right now; it’s a good read, although I do find my interest flagging a little. I suspect, though, that things are just about to get exciting again, as Mo, Meggie’s father, has a certain plan up his sleeve and while I do have a good inkling what it involves, it will be interesting to see how it all works out.
This weekend of reading has also proved to be very educational too in terms of my writing – but I’ll save those thoughts for another post!
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{ 13 comments… read them below or add one }
Holy cow! You had your own personal read-a-thon this weekend!
.-= bermudaonion (Kathy)´s last blog ..Wondrous Words Wednesday =-.
I never thought of it like that, but you’re right, Kathy – I guess I did!
Ditto what Kathy said, LOL. You did have a personal read-a-thon this weekend and I’m glad you were able. It’s not often you get that kind of luxurious downtime.
BTW, have any interest in reading (or, rather, listening to) Strange Brew? It’s a compilation of stories by various adult urban fantasy authors.
.-= Ann-Kat (Today, I Read…)´s last blog ..BTT: News Bulletin: Grammar Brutally Murdered, Suspects Still at Large =-.
I know – it kind of took me by surprise and I just dived right in.
I don’t often read short stories, but this compilation does sound interesting. Good narrator?
Those sound like perfect books for an unexpected readathon – fantasy worlds you can dive into and lose yourself! For me, the trouble with those is that then going back to “regular” fiction seems so mundane! It’s like, I suppose, spending the week at Disney and then coming back and having to do laundry, dishes, etc!
.-= rhapsodyinbooks´s last blog ..Women’s History Month: What Did Susan B. Anthony Read? =-.
I think that’s why I did a “splurge” of urban fantasy reading – I came up for air, wanted more, and dived into another one!
I hope you enjoy the rest of Inkheart. I was expecting a really weak plot and cookie-cutter characters and was genuinely surprised by that book. The sequel, Inkspell, was even better.
.-= Melissa´s last blog ..Book List: 3 Books That Take You Down Memory Lane to High School =-.
It’s definitely a good read. I’m glad to hear the sequel’s even better!
If you like The Forever King, you HAVE to read The Broken Sword–one of my favorite books!
.-= heidenkind´s last blog ..Novels & Gender =-.
I really want to read The Broken Sword! It’s out of print, too, so I have it listed in Bookmooch right now but I think my next online book shopping spree, I’ll buy it used. It sounds like it will be so good. I did hear, though, that the third one, which was written by only one of the authors, wasn’t nearly as good – have you read that last one?
Yup, I ran out and bought it as soon as it came out.
It really wasn’t as good–it just seemed like there was a spark missing. Also, I really wanted a happy conclusion to some of the story lines in Broken Sword, and that didn’t happen.
It was okay, but not as good as first two.
.-= heidenkind´s last blog ..Novels & Gender =-.
I haven’t read any of these so thanks for the heads up. The Warrior Heir (plus the sequels) and Devil’s Kiss sound right up my alley. I just have to get through the rest of the Thursday Next books first…..
.-= Steve´s last blog ..Pyrography, aka, The Art Of "How Cool Is That?!?!?" =-.
Do read the second book in the Inkheart trilogy — It was wonderful! The third book, not so much.
I picked up The Warrior Heir a few months ago, but haven’t read it.
.-= Beth F´s last blog ..Review: Taroko Gorge by Jacob Ritari =-.
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