This Dark Endeavour

This Dark Endeavor

by Kenneth Oppel

Synopsis:

Victor Frankenstein leads a charmed life. He and his twin brother Konrad and their beautiful cousin Elizabeth take lessons at home and spend their spare time fencing and horseback riding. Along with their friend, Henry, they have explored all the hidden passageways and secret rooms of the palatial Frankenstein chateau. Except one.

The Dark Library contains ancient tomes written in strange languages, and filled with forbidden knowledge. Their father makes them promise never to visit the library again, but when Konrad becomes deathly ill, Victor knows he must find the book that contains the recipe for the legendary Elixir of Life.

The elixir needs only three ingredients. But impossible odds, dangerous alchemy, and a bitter love triangle threaten their quest at every turn.

Victor knows he must not fail. But his success depends on how far he is willing to push the boundaries of nature, science, and love – and how much he is willing to sacrifice.

My Thoughts:

I have read Mary Shelley's Frankenstein but it's been a few years and the details are sort of fuzzy.  This book made me want go back and reread Shelley's novel.  For those that now the story of Frankenstein have you ever wonder what happened to make Victor Frankenstein a man that would dare to try to create life?  Oppel has written a masterpiece that could easy explain what happen to Victor to make him into the mad scientist that we know from Shelley's classic. In Shelley's Frankenstein Victor has two little brothers, Elizabeth (a cousin) and a friend named Henry;  Oppel has added one more character to the family Victor's twin Konrad.  Konrad and Victor are inseparable but very different in personality.  Konrad is charming, brilliant, practically perfect and Victor is  . . . well not; he tries to be good but he can never seem to measure up to Konrad.  When Konrad falls ill and medicine and science seem to be failing him, Victor takes it upon himself to look for a cure. Having found a library of dark arts (mainly alchemy) hidden in the castle Victor decides that the only way to save Konrad is with the Elixir of Life and with the help of Elizabeth and Henry starts to collect the necessary ingredients.  Making the elixir is a dangerous quest and Victor is pulled deeper into the dark arts.  I loved how Oppel wrote the characters especially Victor because you know how Victor is going to turn out and so his descent into darkness needs to be believable. You see Victor as just a desperate teen trying to save his brother but at the same time he is desperate for the attention ad praise (and maybe even Elizabeth's hand) that could be earned from saving Konrad.  It is so very easy to like Victor even as his ambition takes over and he becomes more aggressive and twisted in his quest; you still want him to succeed even though you know where that success will lead him.

Beautiful Creatures

Beautiful Creatures

By Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

Synopsis:

 Lena Duchannes is unlike anyone the small Southern town of Gatlin has ever seen, and she''s struggling to conceal her power, and a curse that has haunted her family for generations. But even within the overgrown gardens, murky swamps and crumbling graveyards of the forgotten South, a secret cannot stay hidden forever. Ethan Wate, who has been counting the months until he can escape from Gatlin, is haunted by dreams of a beautiful girl he has never met. When Lena moves into the town''s oldest and most infamous plantation, Ethan is inexplicably drawn to her and determined to uncover the connection between them. In a town with no surprises, one secret could change everything.

Movie to be released February 14, 2013.

My thoughts:

I am one of those people that likes to read the book before the movie but that doesn't always work for me. Usually I find out a movie already came out and the book is buried somewhere in my to-do-read pile or I watch the movie and find out in the credits at the end that it was based on a novel  I had been considering this book for a while then I heard that it was being made into a movie and that decided it: I needed to read this book immediately. And am very happy I did because I liked it and I know the movie will be great but not as good as the book.  So the only thing I knew when picking up this book was it was about witches (after reading the book I learned they prefer casters) and I thought it was going to be about a girl.  Well I was sort of right; it is about witches (sorry casters) and there is a girl, Lena, but there is also a boy and the story is told from Ethan's point of view which I was not expecting one little bit and it kind of through me for a loop for a bit at the start.   Ethan lives in the southern town of Gatlin where nothing ever happens, everyone knows everyone, and where secrets aren't safe; he can't wait to get out and is just counting down the days till he can leave.  Everything changes though when Lena moves into town.  Lena is like no one Ethan or even the town for that matter has ever met and to top it off she is Old Man Ravenwood's niece and living in the oldest and most infamous plantation in Gatlin.  Lena tries to keep her distance from Ethan but he is persistent and slowly Lena starts to let him in and tell him the truth about her and her family. Lena is a caster and on her 16th birthday the light or the dark will choose her and she will have no say in the decision but something is happening to Lena and no one is telling her or Ethan anything.  So Ethan and Lena go looking for their own answers and discover a few secrets along the way.  As much as I liked this book there were a few problems.  I think my biggest problem was having Ethan as a narrator because at times it was hard to believe that the narrator was a guy. Also I did get rather frustrated with the plot and characters at how obviously secretive they were and it usually didn't seem like it was for any good reason. That being said I really did like this book.  It was a nice easy read and at times truly hilarious (Ethan's aunts are fantastic and I hope they are in every single book).  I look forward to reading the next book in the series.

The Storyteller

The Storyteller

by Antonia Michaelis

Synopsis:

Anna and Abel couldn’t be more different. They are both seventeen and in their last year of school, but while Anna lives in a nice old town house and comes from a well-to-do family, Abel, the school drug dealer, lives in a big, prisonlike tower block at the edge of town. Anna is afraid of him until she realizes that he is caring for his six-year-old sister on his own. Fascinated, Anna follows the two and listens as Abel tells little Micha the story of a tiny queen assailed by dark forces. It’s a beautiful fairy tale that Anna comes to see has a basis in reality. Abel is in real danger of losing Micha to their abusive father and to his own inability to make ends meet. Anna gradually falls in love with Abel, but when his “enemies” begin to turn up dead, she fears she has fallen for a murderer. Has she?

Award-winning author Antonia Michaelis moves in a bold new direction with her latest novel: a dark, haunting, contemporary story that is part mystery, part romance, and part melodrama.

My thoughts:

I picked up this book because I had previously read Michaelis' Tiger Moon and fell in love with her writing style and storytelling abilities.  So of course when I saw this book I had to try it.  Once again I was simply blown away by the story and the beautiful writing.  Michaelis is a master at keeping the reader guessing.  For the entire book I never knew what to expect next or I would think that I had it all figured out and then my opinions and everything I knew about the characters (or thought I knew) would be turned upside down on me.  I know that sounds frustrating but it never was it just pulled me deeper into the story.  From the very start of the book you know it is going to be a dark tale and as you start reading and getting to know the characters the suspense from the beginning of the book is always there in the back of your mind and you just pray everyone will come through all right.  Anna is a girl who has everything but feels trapped by her inexperience.  Abel is a mystery to pretty much everyone and wants to keep it that way.  When Anna finds a doll in the student center Abel claims it as his and just like that Anna is hooked.  She decides to follow Abel and see what she can find out.  What she finds is not at all what she expected; Abel has a little sister that he is taking care of all by himself.  Anna's curiosity won't let her turn away and she follows the two of them to a cafe where she eavesdrops on Abel as he starts to tell Micha (his little sister) the story of the cliff queen.  Abel is very protective of his sister but Anna is persistent   She gradually becomes involved in their lives - in Abel's attempt to keep his sister with him even though he is a minor and in Micha's questions about their missing mother.  Anna wants to help even as Abel tries to push her away but  she is slowly becoming a main character in the cliff queen's fairy tale.  This book haunted me and I found myself, after having finished it, having trouble sleeping because I couldn't get it out of my head.   I can't say it enough I loved this book but be warned it is dark and you shouldn't expect a happy ending.

Henry VIII Wolfman

Henry VIII Wolfman

by A. E. Moorat

Synopsis:

HENRY VIII: WOLFMAN. DIVORCED. BEHEADED. DIED. MAULED. SAVAGED. SURVIVED. Henry VIII was the best and bloodiest King ever to have sat on the throne of England. This fast-paced, exciting, gory, inventive and just plain gross retelling of his reign will bring to light the real man behind the myth. When it came to his size, Henry VIII was known for being larger-than-life, with a fearsome temper and bloodthirsty reputation to match; more beast than human, some might say... Be dragged kicking and screaming back 500 years into Tudor England.

  

My thoughts: 

First thing I will say is this is not my usual type of book but lately I have found myself eyeing all those classic mash-ups like “Pride and Prejudice and Zombies”, “Little Women and the Werewolves”, “Withering Bites”, and so on.  Henry VIII Wolfman is my first mash-up experience and while I can't say that I loved it; I definitely didn't hate it either.  In Moorat’s Tudor England demons are real but a treaty has been signed between them and the humans.  The Arcadians (werewolves) are about to destroy the peace that the treaty offers as they are not satisfied with their lot in life (being the lowest ranking demons and resent by everyone on both sides) and decided to do something about it.  Unfortunately this involves eating Henry’s much longed for baby son and then proceeding to bite Henry himself.  Finding himself turning into a werewolf however doesn't really seem to concern Henry too much especially when he discovers how very taste human flesh can be.  In the meantime members of the Protektorate (including one Jane Seymour), Sir Thomas More, and Cardinal Wolsey are trying to stop the werewolves from building an army to overthrow Henry and take England for themselves. For the most part I found that the story moved very fast but there were two or three parts that slowed right down and I had to push myself through them.  If you are looking for a serious read this is not the book; this story is silly almost bordering on downright ridiculous at times.  Some of the characters (Wolsey in particular) use some very colorful language and employs some interesting problem solving ideas causing some a couple good laughing fits from me.  I think the main reason I didn't enjoy this book more was the violence that was quite graphic in detail.  There is a decent amount of blood and gore to be found in this book to keep horror fans entertained but for me it was a bit much to process and I wouldn't recommend it to someone who wasn't a huge fan.

The Diviners

The Diviners  by  Libby Bray

Synopsis:

Something dark and evil has risen...

Evie O'Neill has been exiled from her boring old hometown and shipped off to the bustling streets of New York City--and she is pos-i-toot-ly thrilled. New York is the city of speakeasies, shopping, and movie palaces! Soon enough, Evie is running with glamorous Ziegfield girls and rakish pickpockets. The only catch is Evie has to live with her Uncle Will, curator of The Museum of American Folklore, Superstition, and the Occult--also known as "The Museum of the Creepy Crawlies."
When a rash of occult-based murders comes to light, Evie and her uncle are right in the thick of the investigation. And through it all, Evie has a secret: a mysterious power that could help catch the killer--if he doesn't catch her first.



My thoughts:  

I loved the voice of Evie.  Her mannerisms, confidence and wit make her a character that is memorable and likeable.  The idea that the main characters --- all future diviners---have unique secret abilities that the reader knows about but the other characters don't helps build the suspense of the story.  Although this is beginning of another series the story itself has an ending that is satisfying.  I am looking forward to the next instalment.     

Masque of The Red Death

Masque Of The Red Death

by Bethany Griffin

Synopsis:

Everything is in ruins. 

 A devastating plague has decimated the population, and those who are left live in fear of catching it as the city crumbles around them.  

So what does Araby Worth have to live for?  

Nights in the Debauchery Club, beautiful dresses, glittery makeup . . . and tantalizing ways to forget it all.  

But in the depths of the club? in the depths of her own despair?  Araby will find more than oblivion. She will find Will, the terribly handsome proprietor of the club, and Elliott, the wickedly smart aristocrat. Neither is what he seems. Both have secrets. Everyone does.  

And Araby may find not just something to live for, but something to fight for? no matter what it costs her.

My thoughts:

This book was inspired by Edgar Allan Poe’s short story which bears the same name but having never read the short story that didn’t help me too much.  All I knew was the short story was about the plague.  So I guess I was expecting a story that was dark and maybe even tragic and I wasn’t disappointed.  At the start I wasn’t pulled in immediately but that changed quickly and I couldn’t put it down.  Araby lives in a world of dead and decay, where every day to not contract the deadly weeping Sickness.  Dead bodies are everywhere and air-filtering masks are necessary to avoid contracting this illness but only affordable for the rich.  A domineering Prince rules the city from afar and lives apart from the threats that exist within the city.  Araby spends her time in the Debauchery Club trying to forget and encounters two very different but equally mysterious boys. But the city holds even more mystery and there are rumors of an uprising and then the attacks begin. I liked the world that Griffin has created-part gothic, part dystopia.  I loved how even when I had my set opinions about each character but then the author would manage to change everything and all of a sudden my opinion was the exact opposite.  When starting this book I had thought it was just one book and not a series but sadly I was very mistaken.  But even though there will be a second book the end was very very abrupt and it had me feeling a little lost and kind of agitated.  There is this huge build up and then the story just stops.  The second book comes out in April 2013 if I had known that in the beginning I might have wait to read this book till then so I was not left hanging.

Anna Dressed in Blood

Anna Dressed In Blood

Kendare Blake

Synopsis:

Cas Lowood has inherited an unusual vocation: He kills the dead.

So did his father before him, until his gruesome murder by a ghost he sought to kill. Now, armed with his father's mysterious and deadly athame, Cas travels the country with his kitchen-witch mother and their spirit-sniffing cat. Together they follow legends and local lore, trying to keep up with the murderous dead—keeping pesky things like the future and friends at bay.

When they arrive in a new town in search of a ghost the locals call Anna Dressed in Blood, Cas doesn't expect anything outside of the ordinary: move, hunt, kill. What he finds instead is a girl entangled in curses and rage, a ghost like he's never faced before. She still wears the dress she wore on the day of her brutal murder in 1958: once white, but now stained red and dripping blood. Since her death, Anna has killed any and every person who has dared to step into the deserted Victorian she used to call home.

And she, for whatever reason, spares his life.

My Thoughts:

Not going to lie I picked up this book solely based on the cover.  I wasn’t sure what I was expecting. I thought the book would be from Anna’s point of view based on the title and some kind of horror story again because of the title.  What I actually got was a surprisingly good read and not even close to your typical ghost horror story.  Cas is actually the main character in this book; he was easy to relate to, but at the same time he was believably male. Since his father’s murder by a vicious ghost, Cas and his mom have been travelling around the US (and Canada too!) killing any ghosts that have been harming humans.  Someday he hopes to avenge his father’s death but before that he has one final test. A spook to rival all spooks, a powerful and wicked goddess of death. . . Anna Korlov. But as Cas founds out Anna is not at all what she seems. Instead she is both a murderess and a victim all at the same time. I liked the writing in this story I was able to clearly see how the relationships of the characters changed and developed and the best part was it was believable.   I was captivated from the very first page and thrilled to discovery that there were two different mysteries not just one and an amazing twist that I did not see coming at all!  I thought the book was more gory than actually frightening. I would say if you’re squeamish beware but don’t let that stop you from picking up this book.  It was amazing and so very different!