Review: After the Golden Age by Carrie Vaughn

Title: After the Golden Age
Author: Carrie Vaughn
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Release Date: 04/12/11
But the Book:

Summary:

Can an accountant defeat a supervillain? Celia West, only daughter of the heroic leaders of the superpowered Olympiad, has spent the past few years estranged from her parents and their high-powered lifestyle. She’s had enough of masks and heroics, and wants only to live her own quiet life out from under the shadow of West Plaza and her rich and famous parents.

Then she is called into her boss’ office and told that as the city’s top forensic accountant, Celia is the best chance the prosecution has to catch notorious supervillain the Destructor for tax fraud. In the course of the trial, Celia’s troubled past comes to light and family secrets are revealed as the rift between Celia and her parents grows deeper. Cut off from friends and family, Celia must come to terms with the fact that she might just be Commerce City’s only hope.

This all-new and moving story of love, family, and sacrifice is an homage to Golden Age comics that no fan will want to miss.

Plot: 3 Stars
I was never into comic books, but a couple years ago I read Black and White by Jackie Kessler and Caitlin Kittredge. I wasn't sure how a novel about superheroes was going to work out, but I absolutely loved it and could not believe there weren't more authors moving in this direction. So when I saw that Carrie Vaughn was releasing a superhero novel, I had to have it because I loved Voices of Dragons and her Kitty Norville series. Maybe my expectations were a little high after reading Black and White, but this novel just fell a little flat for me. Commerce City wasn't explained in much detail, so the setting portion of the world-building was a bit lacking. The Destructor was the only evil supervillian mentioned, which didn't seem plausible. But my favorite part of this novel was the mystery that unfolded. As Celia delved further and further into the mystery, she learned more and more about how the super humans came about.

Pace: 2 Stars
Three quarters of this novel left me wondering if I'd ever get to the action. It seemed like all of the time was taken up by Celia's inner monolgue, whether she was trying to figure out the current situation or rehashing past events. Whether she was on the phone, working out a new lead, or sitting in court, it seemed like Celia was telling the reader a lot of information instead of showing the reader. Even her flashbacks (which happened quite often) were a bit lackluster, considering they were flashbacks of evil geniuses and kidnappings. It wasn't until I almost gave up and brought the book back to the library without finishing, that I reached the last quarter of the book and hit a little action. Granted, I saw the scene that grabbed my attention back coming, it was enough to get me to finish the book.

Characters: 3 Stars
Celia is the only character we learn a lot about throughout this novel. While it's totally understandable that after being raised by superheroes she would rebel as a teenager and become an accountant as an adult, I never really connected to Celia. A part of the problem is that she talked about how she didn't get along with her parents throughout the entire novel, but did not give that many examples. Also, we never learn a lot about her parents outside of their jobs and the few flashbacks in which we see them all not getting along. Dr. Mentis is the only member of the Olympiad we get to learn a bit about, and that came across very rushed and last minute after certain scenes unfold. There were a number of other super humans that are mentioned once or twice with barely any detail. It was also a bit confusing at time when Celia bounced back and forth between the super human's real names and code names.

Cover: 2 Stars
This cover confused me. My first thought upon seeing it was, "Where is the cover model's face?" It isn't until you open the cover to read the inside of the jacket that you see her face, which leads me to wonder if the paperback version is going to be edited slightly or just leave her face-less. Once I started reading, the cover confused me even more because I couldn't figure out who the cover model was supposed to depict. My first thought was Celia, considering she has short red hair and she's the main character. But the red spandex suit makes me think the cover model is depicting Spark, a member of the Olympiad, which doesn't make a lot of sense because without including the other three members of the Olympiad. Although I do enjoy the juxtoposition of the title and other text in regards to the cover model's distinctly superhero pose. I just wish the cityscape across the bottom could have been more pronounced. I couldn't even tell it was there when looking at a thumbnail. Basically, from afar this cover does a good job of relaying the superhero vibe to a shopper that is browsing, but on closer inspection it is a bit generic and does not depict the novel that well.

Overall: 2.5 Stars

Disclosure: I borrowed this novel from the local library.

Author Interview: Jaclyn Dolamore

First off, I'd like to thank Jaclyn Dolamore for dropping by to answer some questions. She's a local author for me, so I invited her onto the blog after a twitter conversation about the local libraries. I really enjoyed her novel, Magic Under Glass (you can see my review here). She also has a really cool contest running on her blog in celebration of the paperback release of Magic Under Glass, here.

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Sara: How would you describe your novel, Magic Under Glass, for readers who haven’t heard of it before?

Jaclyn: Foreign dancer meets clockwork boy in Victorian Gothic "house full o' secrets" setting, with magic!

Sara: How would you describe each of your main characters in three words?

Jaclyn: 3 words! That's hard! How about:

Nimira: Needs a friend.
Erris: Needs a therapist.
Hollin: Needs a vacation.

Sara: What sets your series apart from the rest of the Paranormal Young Adult novels?

Jaclyn: Well, I don't know of any other novels that have a clockwork man as a love interest. I also think Nimira is fairly unique in being from an Eastern-influenced country in a 19th-century western world.

Sara: Tell us a little about your writing process. Are you a plotter or a pantser?

Jaclyn: I'm about 80% plotter. I have to know where a story is going or I'll flounder, but I also have to be open to possibilities because things always work out different than I expected.

Sara: Where did the idea for Magic Under Glass come from? Is it a novel you have always wanted to write or did it sneak up on you?

Jaclyn: It REALLY snuck up on me. I had the idea for it hit me over the course of a couple of days, and two months later I had a finished first draft. It took a couple more drafts and two more years to actually sell it, so the evolution toward publication was slow, but the initial idea was very fast. I've just always loved the Victorian era so once I started playing in that setting, it came easily.

Sara: Can we look forward to a sequel for Magic Under Glass? Do you have any other upcoming releases or projects you’d like to share with readers?

Jaclyn: Yes, Magic Under Stone comes out in 2012, sometime, and before that, my next novel, mermaid + winged boy love story Between the Sea and Sky will be released in October.

Sara: What are your influences both in and out of Paranormal Young Adult?

Jaclyn: I don't think I actually have any major influences within paranormal YA. I think it's good to draw from other things so you don't end up repetitive with other stuff that's out there. I am very inspired by history and I read loads of non-fiction. Other influences: Studio Ghibli films and other anime, various graphic novels and manga such as Thieves and Kings, Elfquest, A Distant Soil, NANA, and Meatcake, classic children's literature like Little House and L. M. Montgomery novels... I'm all over the place, but despite writing novels I'm very visual, which is probably one reason I often start with setting instead of plot or character when I'm beginning something.

Sara: What are you currently reading?

Jaclyn: A Dance Between Flames: Berlin Between the Wars by Anton Gill -- it's research but also fascinating. And Five Flavors of Dumb by Antony John, a really fun YA about a hearing impaired girl who becomes a rock band manager.

---

Title: Magic Under Glass
Author: Jaclyn Dolamore
Genre: Paranormal Young Adult
Release Date: 05/24/11 (paperback)
But the Book:

Summary:

Nimira is a music-hall girl used to dancing for pennies. So when wealthy sorcerer Hollin Parry hires her to sing accompaniment to a mysterious piano-playing automaton, Nimira believes it will be the start of a better life.

In Parry's world, long-buried secrets are about to stir. Unsettling rumors begin to swirl about ghosts, a madwoman roaming the halls, and Parry’s involvement in a group of corrupt sorcerers for whom the rules of the living and dead are meant to be broken for greater power.

When Nimira discovers the spirit of a dashing fairy gentleman is trapped within the automaton, she is determined to break the curse. But even as the two fall into a love that seems hopeless, breaking the curse becomes a perilous race against time. Because it's not just the future of these star-crossed lovers that's at stake, but the fate of the entire magical world.

In My Mailbox (84)

Thanks to Kristi at The Story Siren for hosting In My Mailbox every week.

This week was crazy. On Monday, I had to go to the post office to pick up two packages that the mailman wouldn't leave at the door last week (no idea why), and I had a spaz moment when I opened the package that included Hounded. On Wednesday, UPS dropped off a package later than usual. I had no idea what it could be. When I opened it up to see Dead Iron I had another spaz moment because I really didn't expect it. Devon Monk announced on twitter that bloggers interested in an ARC should e-mail her, but I never thought I'd be picked (or that it would arrive so quickly). And today, I went crazy at the library. I recently got a card for the neighboring county and they have EVERYTHING. I went in with a plan to grab five, and I had six in my arms before I found any on my list. Whoops. I only stopped when I did because I couldn't carry anymore. How was your mailbox this week?


Review:
Dead Iron by Devon Monk ARC [Buy now]
(Thanks to Penguin)

Won:
Hounded by Kevin Hearne [Buy now]
(Thanks to The Spinecracker!)
Etched in Bone by Adrian Phoenix [Buy now]
(Thanks to Parajunkie via the Paranormal Spring Break!)


Bought:
Enclave by Ann Aguirre [Buy now]
Tangled Threads by Jennifer Estep [Buy now]
Die For Me by Amy Plum [Buy now]
Shift by Jeri Smith-Ready [Buy now]

Used:
Heir to the Shadows by Anne Bishop [Buy now]
Queen of the Darkness by Anne Bishop [Buy now]
Heroes Adrift by Moira J. Moore [Buy now]
Heroes Return by Moira J. Moore [Buy now]


Library:
Kind by Holly Black [Buy now]
The Frenzy by Francesca Lia Block [Buy now]
StarCrossed by Elizabeth C. Bunce [Buy now]
Edge of Hunger by Rhyannon Byrd [Buy now]
Demon Marked by Anna J. Evans [Buy now]
A Darkness Forged in Fire by Chris Evans [Buy now]
Hard Magic by Laura Anne Gilman [Buy now]
Moonlight by Rachel Hawthorne [Buy now]
Past Midnight by Mara Purnhagen [Buy now]
One Hundred Candles by Mara Purnhagen [Buy now]
Demons are a Girl's Best Friend by Linda Wisdom [Buy now]

Review: Born at Midnight by C.C. Hunter

Title: Born at Midnight (ARC)
Author: C.C. Hunter
Genre: Paranormal Young Adult
Release Date: 03/29/11
Buy the Book:

Summary:

Don’t miss this spectacular new series that will steal your heart and haunt your dreams. Welcome to Shadow Falls camp, nestled deep in the woods of a town called Fallen...

One night Kylie Galen finds herself at the wrong party, with the wrong people, and it changes her life forever. Her mother ships her off to Shadow Falls -- a camp for troubled teens, and within hours of arriving, it becomes painfully clear that her fellow campers aren’t just “troubled.” Here at Shadow Falls, vampires, werewolves, shapshifters, witches and fairies train side by side -- learning to harness their powers, control their magic and live in the normal world.

Kylie’s never felt normal, but surely she doesn’t belong here with a bunch of paranormal freaks either. Or does she? They insist Kylie is one of them, and that she was brought here for a reason. As if life wasn’t complicated enough, enter Derek and Lucas. Derek’s a half-fae who’s determined to be her boyfriend, and Lucas is a smokin’ hot werewolf with whom Kylie shares a secret past. Both Derek and Lucas couldn’t be more different, but they both have a powerful hold on her heart.

Even though Kylie feels deeply uncertain about everything, one thing is becoming painfully clear -- Shadow Falls is exactly where she belongs...

Plot: 4 Stars
The idea of a summer camp for supernaturals sounded like a great idea, and I knew I'd have to read this book. I enjoy YA books where the characters are sent to boarding schools or academies for their supernatural abilities, but there are a large number of them. Summer camp, on the other hand, was an idea that I hadn't encountered yet. I also really enjoyed that it was a mix of supernatural creatures at the summer camp, instead of being just for vampires or just for shapeshifters. It allowed for interactions and the formation of cliques that wouldn't have happened had everyone been the same breed. The supernaturals could read each other with some weird psychic brain thing... I wish it had been explained better. Kylie can't do it, but it's never explained how to scan another person's brain or how to interpret what is read off of the brain. Hopefully that will be further discussed in the next novel as Kylie figures herself out.

Pace: 3.5 Stars
Once the plot twists at the end of the novel grabbed me, I couldn't put it down. But it was a bit slow getting to that point. Out of the approximately 400 pages of the novel, there didn't seem to be a lot going on besides camp life for about 300 of those pages. There were a couple moments where I almost put the book down, and a couple moments in which I wondered if the plot would actually show up. But then the twists arrived, grabbed me and didn't let go. Once the story was finished, I realized there were a number of earlier scenes leading up to the climax and resolution that were meant to foreshadow. I just didn't realize it until afterwards, so the foreshadowing may have been a bit subtle at those moments.

Characters: 3.5 Stars
Kylie was a very interesting character because no one knows what kind of supernatural she is. She spends a large part of the novel hoping that it's all a mistake. She accepted the supernatural very quickly for someone who had never experienced it before the summer camp, but a fellow camp member shapeshifting in front of you will definitely change your mind. Kylie's two roommates at the camp were a great contrast. A dyslexic witch who sometimes gets her spells wrong and a vampire who is trying to keep her family in the dark made for some hilarious scenes. This was my first love-quadrangle, and it got a bit confusing. Kylie broke up with before camp, but thinks about him a lot at camp. Derek is interested in Kylie, and the feeling is mutual, but Kylie's afraid it's because he reminds her of her ex. Lucas is a guy from her past that scares and intrigues Kylie. There just isn't enough time in the day to worry about so many boys. Hopefully the next novel will bring it down to a love-triangle. I can deal with a triangle.

Cover: 3.5 Stars
The cover model was a great depiction of Kylie. I like the way the cover model is posed on the tree. It's a very striking image. I just wish another character or two could've been included on the cover because there were so many characters that played a medium to large role in the story. I also wish something in the background could have alluded to the fact that the story bases itself around a summer camp. Although I tend to like purple covers, this one came across a bit too monochromatic.

Overall: 3.5 Stars

Disclosure: I received an ARC thru Book It Forward Tours.

Random Acts of Kindess: May

I love this very cool program over at the Book Soulmates call Random Acts of Kindness. Basically, book bloggers sign up with their wish lists and other generous book bloggers can send them a gift from that wish list. I think it's a really cool idea and am going to participate again. Last month was my first month participating. I received an ARC of a book from my wishlist that I can't wait to read, and I also passed on two ARCs to book bloggers who had them on their wishlists.


Here are the details for May's Random Act of Kindness.

Rules:
• Sign up each month you'd like to participate in.
• Show off your participation! Grab one of the buttons available :)
• Create a wish list and post it in the Google Doc located in each R.A.K post for the month. (Post on your blog, Amazon, where ever as long as there's a link to it.)
• If you choose to do a R.A.K for someone, check out their wish list and contact that blogger for their address.
• At the end of the month, SHOW US YOUR R.A.K! Make a post saying 'Thank You' to whoever granted one of your wishes and share it with us :)

OPEN TO EVERYONE!
Let's keep our International bloggers in mind and in our hearts.
Remember, there's always the Book Depository and they offer FREE shipping!

Wishlist:
Rage by Jackie Morse Kessler
Demons are a Girl's Best Friend by Linda Wisdom
Through Her Eyes by Jennifer Archer
Crux by Moira Rogers
Dark Heart Forever by Lee Monroe
Strange Neighbors by Ashlyn Chase
Among Theives by Douglas Hulick
The Vampire Voss by Colleen Gleason
Vampire Crush by A.M. Robinson
The Girl in the Steel Corset by Kady Cross

***Note: I do not have an eReader, but I am all for used books and ARCs.