Schrödinger's Bookshelf » Realms of Fantasy

Drink, Slay, Love, by Sarah Beth Durst (Simon & Schuster, 2011)

Michael M. Jones — Sat, 05 Nov 2011 03:40:51 +0000

Teen vampire Pearl’s life is thrown into disarray when she’s staked by a unicorn. Instead of killing her, the experience changes her, granting her the ability to survive in sunlight. Her Family promptly sends her to infiltrate high school, to find victims for the impending visit of their king and his retinue, a traditionally bloody affair. Unfortunately, as Pearl learns to fit in among human teenagers, she develops an inconvenient conscience, and acquires some unexpected friends. With two different aspects of her life vying for dominance, Pearl has to decide who and what she is. Durst takes the superficially silly idea and injects it with humor, drama, and rich characterization, playing the “fish out of water” theme for all it’s worth. One of the most entertaining vampire books to come along in a while.

Variant, by Robison Wells (HarperTeen, 2011)

Michael M. Jones — Sat, 05 Nov 2011 03:40:40 +0000

When Benson Fisher receives a scholarship to the exclusive Maxfield Academy, he dreams of finally escaping the never-ending string of foster homes. What he discovers, is far worse. Part prison, part Darwinist nightmare, there is no escape from the arbitrary rules and unpredictable schedule, save for death. There are no teachers; the students run everything from administration and security, to trash and cooking, all under the constant surveillance of their unseen, all-knowing captors. Benson’s desperate plans to break free destroy the fragile truce between the student-led groups, and reveal the horrifying truth behind the school’s purpose. Intense and suspenseful, this dystopian thriller is punctuated by genuine surprise twists, and capped by an ending sure to leave readers demanding more.

The Shattering, by Karen Healy (Little, Brown, 2011)

Michael M. Jones — Sat, 05 Nov 2011 03:40:29 +0000

Keri, Janna and Sione have one thing in common: they’ve each lost an older brother under tragic circumstances. Convinced that it’s more than coincidence, they dig deep, discovering a rash of similar deaths over the years, all linked to their peaceful New Zealand town. Now they have to deal with a supernatural threat which stands ready to take another life in the near future. Can they unmask their enemy before anyone else gets hurt? With a multicultural cast, an intriguing setting, and a genuine sense of mystery and foreboding, this is an unforgettable read. The characters are rich and complex, the magic is subtle, and the story satisfying.

The Death Catchers, by Jennifer Anne Kogler (Walker, 2011)

Michael M. Jones — Sat, 05 Nov 2011 03:40:17 +0000

When she turns fourteen, Lizzy Mortimer discovers that she, like her grandmother, is a Hand of Fate. Gifted with the knowledge of when someone close to her is going to die, she’s able to alter that fate if she so chooses. However, this also makes her a pawn in an ancient prophecy stemming from the days of Camelot. Now she must try to prevent the death of her crush, Drake Westfall, and stop the ancient sorceress Vivienne le Mort from destroying the world. The narrative tone is on the light side (written as an essay to a teacher, with plenty of conversational tangents), and the mixture of themes is a little unwieldy, but this is still a fun, fast-paced story with real potential.

Wildefire, by Karsten Knight (Simon & Schuster, 2011)

Michael M. Jones — Sat, 05 Nov 2011 03:40:05 +0000

In the wake of a tragic incident involving her rebellious older sister and a classmate, Ashline Wilde transfers to a private school in California, hoping to start over quietly. Instead, she learns that she, like several other students, is a reincarnated god. In her case: a Polynesian fire goddess. Each has some task to play in preventing Ragnarok, but details remain hazy. Now Ash must balance normal high school demands with her divine status, and things get worse when her sister turns up, with powers of her own and an alternative agenda, threatening to divide loyalties. This supernatural drama reads like a soap operatic Percy Jackson, only with much more cultural diversity and an edge. I wish we’d gotten some more details about the mythological aspects, and the ending was maddeningly abrupt, but this is still an excellent book, well worth checking out.