Spotlight on Steampunk: The Whatnot

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Today’s Steampunk book isn’t entirely steampunk; it’s more of a fantasy novel, though I really wanted to include it in this fortnight, because look at that pretty steampunk-y cover! And, mechanical birds! (Easily one of the coolest bits of the series) The author, Stefan Bachmann, will be on the blog tomorrow, with a guest post, too- which I am so excited for! ;D This is the sequel to The Peculiar- so if you want to pick up this book, make sure to check out that one, first!

By Stefan Bachmann, published by Harper Collins.

The Whatnot (The Peculiar, #2) Goodreads Synopsis: “Oh, the Sly King, the Sly King, in his towers of ash and wind.”

Pikey Thomas doesn’t know how or why he can see the changeling girl. But there she is. Not in the cold, muddy London neighborhood where Pikey lives. Instead, she’s walking through the trees and snow of the enchanted Old Country or, later, racing through an opulent hall. She’s pale and small, and she has branches growing out of her head. Her name is Henrietta Kettle.
Pikey’s vision, it turns out, is worth something.
Worth something to Hettie’s brother—a brave adventurer named Bartholomew Kettle. Worth something to the nobleman who protects him. And Pikey is not above bartering—Pikey will do almost anything to escape his past; he’ll do almost anything for a life worth living.
The faeries—save for a mysterious sylph and a mischievous cobble faery or two— have been chased out of London. They’ve all gone north. The army is heading north, too. So Pikey and Bartholomew follow, collecting information, piecing together clues, searching for the doorway that will lead them to Hettie.

The Whatnot is the enthralling, surprising, and unforgettable companion to Stefan Bachmann’s internationally bestselling debut novel The Peculiar.

My Review: I was so excited to start this! I was sent a copy of Stefan’s debut, The Peculiar, about this time last year by Harper Collins. The book completely blew me away; I was so absorbed in the fantastical vision of England, which was invaded by Faeries. I’ve been waiting since the start of the year to read the sequel, because I really wanted more of the world, and The Peculiar was left on such a cliffhanger- I needed to know what happened to Hettie… I haven’t been able to get around to the sequel since I was accepted for it on Netgalley in September ): But, I’m so glad I’ve finally read it now- it was definitely worth the wait- I read all of it in two sittings!

I was slightly confused, as the story began. There’s a new central character to the story- Pikey. He’s a pretty mysterious character- we don’t know everything about him, even by the end of the book, though he’s still really likeable. He’s similar to Barthy and Hettie, the Peculiar siblings (half human, half faerie!), because he’s hated by so many people. As I started, I wasn’t sure if I was reading right- where were the old main narrators, Barthy and Hettie? Then, the scenes began to switch between Pikey’s adventure, and Hettie’s. The two people are linked, because Hettie found his eye, and keeps it with her- and every now and then, he gets visions of her, from his lost eye. I loved that concept! It was really clever, and made the plot really interesting. When Barthy meets Pikey, they immediately go searching for Hettie- who’s been kidnapped, and now owned by a new character, who calls her The Whatnot. I really enjoyed reading about them. There were some great twists to the story, that kept me hooked and kept the characters in constant danger.

Hettie is such a loveable character. I was already really attached to her in the Peculiar, and she was even more loveable in this installment! She seemed a lot braver and adventurous in this book, and her adventure definitely was the most fun to read about. Barthy (or Bartholomew) seemed very… I’m not sure how to put it! I could connect with him really well in the Peculiar, but not so much in the Whatnot, at first. He seemed to me as a little distant and less likeable at first, though I grew to love him more again over his quest to find Hettie. The ending for both of these characters I can’t really talk about- I really don’t want to spoil it! But I’ll say that it will make tears spring to your eyes. Pikey also has a really great ending. I loved Pikey! There needs to be more of story to him- a spin-off novella, maybe, Stefan? Please? ;D

Stefan’s writing is absolutely beautiful. I fell in love with it in his debut- and it was especially brilliant, because The Peculiar was Stefan’s debut, that was published before he was nineteen. In the sequel, his writing was equally amazing. The descriptions were so vivid and realistic, I felt I was there- in this unique, original vision of a faerie infested England! Too often people say that an author’s second book, or sequel to a series, will be the hardest to write- I’m not sure about Stefan’s experience writing The Whatnot, but it was just as amazing as his first book, and it definitely didn’t let me down!

Overall, I was so captured by The Whatnot. The plot, as I hoped, was layered and unpredictable, and I found myself completely addicted to the story. The setting is so rich with imagination. I really love this world, but the way this book ended, I’m guessing that’s the end of it…. please no! More, Mr Bachmann! I need MORE of Hettie, Barthy and Pikey’s stories! ;D I definitely need to re-read the two books again sometime- and I’m sure I’ll be recommending these to anybody looking for an unforgettable fantasy, or a just a breath-taking read. Hettie, Barthy and Pikey are all completely unforgettable characters. I love them to bits! A highly recommended steampunk / dark fantasy adventure for anybody.

My Rating:

I received a copy of The Whatnot from the publisher via Netgalley, in exchange for a review. In no way at all did this affect my thoughts.

Spotlight on Steampunk: an Interview with Nigel McDowell!

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Yay! I’m super happy to have Nigel McDowell answering some questions today. It was so awesome of him to answer! Earlier this year, his debut novel, Tall Tales from Pitch End, was published with Hot Key Books. Tall Tales is a very dark, and compelling, fantasy for YAs, with a lot of Steampunk elements. You can read my old review HERE!
Nigel didn’t actually realise he’d written in a fantasy/Steampunk crossover genre- but Hot Key Books pitched it this way, and the cover’s very Steampunk with its machinery themes! *bookcoverfangirlyscream* The reason I read this book is because of how Hot Key’s employee Olivia told me about the dark fantasy and steampunk. (: Nigel really kindly agreed to answer a few questions on his book for my Steampunk event. Here they are- but first, a little bit about the author…

Nigel grew up in County Fermanagh, rural Northern Ireland, and as a child spent most of his time battling boredom, looking for adventure – crawling through ditches, climbing trees, devising games to play with his brother and sister, and reading. His favourite book as a child was The Witches by Roald Dahl. After graduating with a degree in English (and having no clue what to do with it!), he decided to go off on another adventure, spending almost two years living and working in Australia and New Zealand. With him he took a small notebook containing notes about a boy called “Bruno Atlas”, and a seaside town called “Pitch End”. When he returned to Ireland after his travels, one notebook had multiplied into many, and eventually his notes for Tall Tales from Pitch End filled a large cardboard box…

Nigel now lives in London. He has written articles on film and literature for a number of websites.He is always on the hunt for books about folklore and fairytale. He wishes he had more time to climb trees. Tall Tales from Pitch End is Nigel’s debut novel.

Follow Nigel on Twitter: @NMcDowellAuthor

website: http://www.nigelmcdowellauthor.com

Now for the questions!

1-firstly, can you tell us a little bit about Tall Tales?

Tall Tales from Pitch End is a dark fantasy adventure. It is set in the seaside town of Pitch End, a place cut off from the rest of the world, surrounded by a high stone wall and a range of impassable mountains, and ruled by a group of (old but still suspiciously enduring) all-powerful Elders. An odd place, about as rural and closed-minded as you could find; rife with paranoia, and where the townsfolk are spied on dawn and dusk by hundreds of clockwork cats. It’s also a place where a person’s inherent magical power, known as “Talent”, is forbidden from use. Our main character is a boy called Bruno Atlas, who discovers a book that belonged to his murdered father – the Tall Tales from Pitch End. The book contains a collection of folktales which, Bruno suspects, may be the true record of what has happened in the history of Pitch End (or truer than the version being pedalled by the Elders!). The discovery of the book starts a spark of rebellion in Bruno, and he sets of on an adventure to discover the truth about his father, to unpick the riddles and lies of the town, and to try and overthrow the Elders…

2- your debut novel is a dark, steampunk fantasy: did you always intend on writing a novel around those themes?

All writers say this, but it is true: it felt more as though Bruno’s story chose me, and I just had to go along with it and try to tell his tale as best I could! Though I do love fantasy-adventure literature and film of this kind – His Dark Materials, the novels of Frances Hardinge, Mervyn Peake’s Gormenghast trilogy, and films like Labyrinth, The Dark Crystal, Return to Oz (I grew up in the eighties). So I wanted to tell a story about an enclosed world with its own very particular history and folklore, that was filled with lots of strange ideas, and had plenty of action and adventure.

3- If you could ask Bruno three questions about anything not mentioned in the novel, what would they be?

That’s such a good question! And very difficult to answer too…perhaps instead of ‘asking’ him three things, I could ‘tell’ him three things? Is that alright? So firstly, I’d tell him not to worry so much; I’d tell him too that life can be a constant and confusing course of learning when to speak out and when to be thoughtful, and finally and above all else – to trust in the power of his own imagination.

4- do you read any steampunk books?

Not many, to be honest. (Steampunk as a genre wasn’t something I’d heard of until embarrassingly recently, so I was writing Tall Tales in complete ignorance of how it might fit into a certain genre!). Though I do love Philip Reeve’s Mortal Engines series, which I suppose I would’ve described as steampunk, until Philip Reeve himself recently remarked on Twitter that he dislikes that genre! But I did read Railsea by China Mieville a few months ago, and which I think qualifies as steampunk? It was very interesting; a fascinating concept, great story, very intelligent, and beautifully written too.

(Eek! I reviewed a Philip Reeve title for my steampunk event…. ha! :D)

5-what do you love about the genre you’ve written in?

I think at its best, fantasy can achieve many things that great stories aspire to. A good fantasy story can be utterly transporting, as well as exciting, moving, funny, inventive. It can also manage to say something profound about who we are as people. When it comes to the type of stories I write, I like to draw as much as possible on Irish history, folklore and fairy-tale, of which there is a great deal – and beautiful and odd it is too! And it’s a great genre to write in because you can do absolutely anything your imagination can conceive of. If you can dream it, then you can commit it to the page. But the real challenge is making those things – the world you’ve presented – feel rich and complex, deep and detailed enough to be believed in.

6-finally, if you’re already writing another book: can you give us any hints?

That is a *lot* of research and drafting for Tall Tales!

At the moment I’m coming towards the end of editing my new novel. It is another dark fantasy adventure that I’m calling The Black North. It is set in a land called The Divided Isle. A military force has invaded, taken the North and laid waste. They’ve recruited all manner of dark creatures and magic for their cause, and installed a powerful King. The story follows a young girl from the South, Oona, and her comrade – a contrary and commanding talking jackdaw, who often transforms into a contrary and commanding old woman – as they journey across the Divide and into the ‘Black North’ to try and rescue Oona’s brother, who has been captured by the Invaders. After a story like Tall Tales, I wanted to write a novel where the characters were taken on an adventure across a great and treacherous distance, encountering various peoples and creatures, grappling with a lot of excitement and danger along the way! It will be published by Hot Key Books in June 2014.

Thank you so much for the blog interview, Nigel! I am SO excited for your next book- it sounds amazing! *adds to the wishlist* I hope everyone enjoyed this interview- make sure to check out Nigel’s book. You can find it on Goodreads here.

New Books! #32

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Firstly, THANK YOU! I’m about halfway through my Spotlight on Steampunk event now, and I’ve gotten so many lovely comments about it! Thanks to anyone who’s read, commented, or shared the posts! (: It’s been really great running it so far, as I’ve read some brilliant steampunk fiction, and it looks like I’ve gotten some people interested in the genre, too. Tomorrow there’ll be an interview, and later on in the week a guest post- both by two fantastic fantasy/steampunk authors. I hope you’ll enjoy them! ;D A quick break from the Steampunky-ness for a book haul post, now-

I haven’t done a book haul post in AGES! :O (By ages, I mean about three weeks). I have gotten a few books over that time, but I’ll only put this week’s stuff in here! 🙂

On another note, I was on Goodreads a few minutes ago getting the book jacket images for this post- and I saw that I’ve beaten my Goodreads goal for this year! I am hugely happy. I’ve managed to read 175 books, which is a stupid amount 0_0! Though, I’m hoping I’ll get at least to 185 by 2014, as December’s not quite done yet. Anyway, onto the new books!

Received in Post:

A Boy Called Hope

A boy Called Hope by Lara Williamson: This looks like a really amazing debut, by the cover and the synopsis! There’s been a lot of excitement around the March title around twitter and the blogosphere, as there’s a campaign for bloggers where a blogger receives two copies, then leaves one in a public area to spread the words.

I emailed Usborne asking to join in- and although they didn’t have enough copies to let me help, they did send me one with a lovely goody bag! Thanks Usborne, you awesome people (: I will be passing this on after I’ve read it!

Bought:

Numbers (Numbers, #1)

Numbers by Rachel Ward: Rachel Ward’s books look like just my thing- teen thrillers! I’ve seen a lot abut her novels this year especially, as her latest book The Drowning was recently released. I@m looking forward to starting the first in her trilogy! I know a lot of people have really enjoyed it- so I was so excited when I found this in a second hand bookstore today.

Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock

Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock by Mathew Quick: I have a feeling that I’m going to be crying at this. A LOT. This came out not so long ago, and pretty much everything I’ve heard is positive. By the synopsis- this sounds heartbreaking, and I’ve been meaning to buy a copy for ages. I finally bought it, and though I’m scared to start it, I can’t wait to, at the same time!

So. that’s my mini book haul for the week! What books did you buy or receive- or have you read any of these? Leave a comment! (:

Spotlight on Steampunk: Steampunk!

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I don’t usually read anthologies, but this caught my eye in Foyles in London, months ago! I’m really glad I’ve gotten around to reading it, because it was a great mixture of Steampunk stories.

[anthology] by Cassandra Clare, Holly Black, Garth Nix, Elizabeth Knox, Christopher Rowe, Delia Sherman, Ysabeau Wilce, M. T. Anderson, Libba Bray, Shawn Cheng, Cory Doctorow, Dylan Horrocks, and Kathleen Jennings; edited by Kelly Link and Gavin J. Grant, published by Walker.

Steampunk! An Anthology of Fantastically Rich and Strange Stories Goodreads Synopsis: In the first major YA steampunk anthology, fourteen top storytellers push the genre’s mix of sci-fi, fantasy, history, and adventure in fascinating new directions.

Imagine an alternate universe where romance and technology reign. Where tinkerers and dreamers craft and re-craft a world of automatons, clockworks, calculating machines, and other marvels that never were. Here, fourteen masters of speculative fiction, including two graphic storytellers, embrace the steampunk genre’s established themes and refashion them in surprising ways and settings as diverse as Appalachia, Ancient Rome, future Australia, and alternate California. The result is an anthology that defies its genre even as it defines it.

My Review: This anthology was great! It took me a while to read it, as not only, like most books, am I dipping in and out of it between lessons- but also because there were a lot of stories in there that I kept thinking about as I was reading the next one: So I had to re-read lots! This has been sitting on my shelf for quite a few months now. I’m glad I’ve had the chance to read it, because I’ve found a collection of really beautiful stories that I’m sure I’ll delve into again and again.

A lot of people will do separate ratings for stories in an anthology, but here I’m just going to cover my favourites and my least favourites.I think otherwise it would take ages, writing paragraphs about all of them- and there were quite a few pieces, as you could probably tell by all the authors at the top of this review! Firstly, I’ll get the bad-ish stuff out of the way, because I want to get on with fangirling about the awesomest ones ;D

There were a couple of stories in here that I couldn’t really get into One of them was The Glory Girls by Libba Bray. I’ve heard so many raving reviews about her novels, so I was pretty excited to read a short story of her’s… but I just really didn’t enjoy it. There were about two or three others, that I semi-enjoyed reading- though after I finished them, I couldn’t even remember what had happened. I feel really bad about that! I just found that some were a LOT more memorable than others.

Okay, now for the stuff I loved- saving the best ’til last, of course! Holly Black’s story, I quite enjoyed, because it was full of automatons, and I love automatons. Another story that I really loved was Ysabeau S. Wilce’s. I didn’t realise she was in this, as her name wasn’t on the front cover; but she was one of my favourite authors when I was younger! She wrote Flora Segunda of Crackpot Hall, which I read way too many times. Luckily, she didn’t let me down here; her story was a brilliant, classic-feel detective story with Victorian London elements. It was so chilling! Cassandra Clare’s story opened the anthology- and that made a brilliant start to the collection. Her story seemed like one I would’ve probably put as pretty fun, until the last couple of pages; wherein time travel took center stage, and added in a really clever, and absolutely heart-breaking (to me!) twist. I absolutely adored it- and I read that last paragraph again and again.

There are two graphic novel artists contributing, and their works was brilliant! The first mini-graphic novel, was pretty funny but tragic at the same time. The second one was quite moving, I found! They were really fun twists in the anthology, which is quite big at four hundred pages- so the writing is broken up in the right places with the great illustrations.

It was hard to pick a favourite! I think the best story in here was Steam Girl. Already,the title appealed to me, and I’d never heard of the author before, so I was pretty interesting in finding out what he (Dylan Horrocks) wrote like. This story, just completely blew me away. The concept was so beautiful, and the story built up this beautiful back-story to the Steam Girl- who’s in fact a new girl at a high school, who acts strange and dresses differently, who the main character meets. The story is told, largely, in stories by Steam girl; because she’s always in her own world; always writing down these magical stories and drawing pictures of Steam Girl, on her adventures in a Steampunk-inspired Space adventure. The end result was so thrilling and really tugs at your heartstrings. Dylan’s piece, and Cassandra’s, have to be the ones that stand out here!

Overall, Steampunk! is a really imaginative anthology, of original and fun stories that will have a reader completely absorbed. There were about four that I didn’t really enjoy. I struggled to get into a few, and I think it might have been because there was so much, packed into small places, in multiple cases. However, the majority were absolutely brilliant! Some of the stories are under ten pages- some are about fifty- but all of them pack a real punch in a different way. There are so many unique worlds in all of the tales, and I found myself really wanting to read more set in each place, after finishing the pieces! I’ve discovered (and re-discovered) a lot of fantastic authors, who I’ll definitely be looking out for in bookshops now. I can’t wait to read more from these- this anthology is packed with talent!

My Rating:

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I purchased a copy of Steampunk! From a bookstore.

Spotlight on Steampunk: Etiquette & Espionage

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By Gail Carriger, published by Atom Books.

Goodreads Synopsis: It’s one thing to learn to curtsy properly. It’s quite another to learn to curtsy and throw a knife at the same time. Welcome to Finishing School.

Fourteen-year-old Sophronia is a great trial to her poor mother. Sophronia is more interested in dismantling clocks and climbing trees than proper manners—and the family can only hope that company never sees her atrocious curtsy. Mrs. Temminick is desperate for her daughter to become a proper lady. So she enrolls Sophronia in Mademoiselle Geraldine’s Finishing Academy for Young Ladies of Quality.

But Sophronia soon realizes the school is not quite what her mother might have hoped. At Mademoiselle Geraldine’s, young ladies learn to finish…everything. Certainly, they learn the fine arts of dance, dress, and etiquette, but they also learn to deal out death, diversion, and espionage—in the politest possible ways, of course. Sophronia and her friends are in for a rousing first year’s education.

My Review: This was such a fun book! I’ve never read anything by Gail Carriger before, though it’s been said that she’s one of the best steampunk writers out there at the moment. I’m really glad to say I loved her writing, so I’m really looking forward to reading Soulless, now!

Etiquette and Espionage is the first story in a new series featuring Sophronia, but set in the same world as Gail’s Soulless books. That means steampunk awesomeness, plus vampires and werewolves. Sophronia is a bit of a different girl; who’s always exploring and being generally unladylike – and one day, her mother decides that it’s time she’s sent off to a finishing school, in order to learn more etiquette and become a better lady. It’s a bit of a give away in the title; the finishing school isn’t entirely what Sophronia’s mother thinks it is! In fact, they learn to curtsy on top of learning espionage skills- and a couple of the teachers aren’t human, too.

I absolutely loved the idea behind this book. It has elements of Victorian society- you can see that through the etiquette school, obviously- and with a lot of steampunk fantasy thrown in. Early on in the book, I learned about the Flywaymen- highwaymen, but in airships- I loved that idea, and especially the part that played later on in the book! The school reminded me, a lot, of a Victorian version of Ally Carter’s Gallagher Girls school series- where everyone on the outside of the building thinks it’s a normal girl’s school- but on the inside, it’s an espionage training school. Though it seems very similar, it definitely didn’t copy anything. Etiquette & Espionage had a very original plot, and I really loved reading it! At some points, though, I felt like some parts weren’t explained as well as they could have been. Reading this in school, maybe I didn’t take in everything… so was the mysterious Prototype explained in more depth? I’m not that sure! I didn’t feel it was, massively- so I hope more is revealed in book 2, should the same events carry on.

Sophronia is a great character, and led the story really well. I liked her, because whilst she was pretty girly at points, she had a tomboy element that I could really relate to! I loved her relationships with three of the supporting characters- Dimity, Vieve, and Soap. Dimity is a little irritating at points, but it’s hard not to like her. Vieve is a nine year old mechanical genius. Spin-off novels about her, please, Gail! (: Soap is a boy who works beneath the school, and he was so loveable. Thought not that much was revealed about him in this book, I could tell that he and Sophronia were definitely growing quite close. I really want them to be together in the sequel- he’s such a brilliant male character (and, having a finishing school student and a coal worker would cause some very amusing problems).

Overall, Etiquette and Espionage was an enjoyable read. Sophronia is a relatable character who I loved as a protagonist. At points, I really wanted Soap to take center stage more, because he was just… awesome! More of him and his inventing, slightly crazy companion Vieve, soon please! Gail’s writing is brilliant. She combines action and thrills, with humor and laughs. I just fell in love with her writing! It’s very addictive- as I found myself hooked on the book, and a big reason was because I loved Gail’s vivid steampunk descriptions, and witty dialogue, hugely. Another reason was the plot; which was really well written and fun. I think there’s a lot to be built upon in this book, so I’m hoping more things that I want to know are revealed in book two, which is Curtsies and Conspiracies!

My rating:

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I received a copy of Etiquette and Espionage from Nina at Death, Books and Tea, as a part of a book swap (Thanks Nina!)

Spotlight on Steampunk: Larklight

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First review of the fortnight! I devoured this book in a couple of sittings over the weekend, and it was brilliant. There can’t be a steampunk event without a Philip Reeve book, right? Here’s the first in his MG/Teen series- Larklight! (:

By Philip Reeve, published by Bloomsbury.

Larklight (Larklight, #1)

Goodreads Synopsis: Arthur (Art) Mumby and his irritating sister Myrtle live with their father in a huge and rambling house called Larklight…that just happens to be traveling through outer space. When a visitor called Mr. Webster arrives for a visit, it is far from an innocent social call. Before long Art and Myrtle are off on an adventure to the furthest reaches of space, where they will do battle with evil forces in order to save each other–and the universe. A fantastically original Victorian tale set in an outer space world that might have come from the imaginations of Jules Verne or L Frank Baum, but has a unique gravitational pull all its own…

My Review: This was the best book to start the fortnight on, as it was so rich with imagination and craziness. I loved it! The story begins with a brother and a sister, who are living in a crazy, huge house-mansion-ship in space called Larklight, which was their mother’s home before she died. Already, I was sucked into the story, because the premise was so awesome. The time of the events in the book is the early 1800’s- but the Victorian era I’ve learned about here has a massive twist. Victoria’s empire has expanded not only over the globe, but over space and surrounding planets. I couldn’t help but squeal here. It was so original and a really fun setting!

This book doesn’t hang around, world-building before the action. The details all fall into place perfectly over the course of the book, and you’re thrown into the action almost immediately. Larklight gets a visitor ,which Art and Myrtle are immediately already suspicious of. Then, when this visitor turns out to be a giant spider with a giant army, things happen. Creepy things, and adventurous things, all of which I don’t want to detail on in fear I’ll drop spoilers- but I’ll just say that it was so fun following everything! This book would suit anybody- whether they love sci-fi, fast-paced adventures, or pirates, or space. Or pirates in space (This happens! How brilliant! It had a very Treasure Planet feel.)

The story moved quite fast for me. With a lot packed into the plot, I was expecting the pace to be a little bit slower. However, the book moved really, really quickly. I did have to read over a few paragraphs at multiple points, because there was a lot to take in. Larklight really is a wild adventure, and moved a bit too fast in places, but that was made up for with the writing style- a twelve year old’s perspective!

Art is such a great character. Philip Reeve has captured a twelve year old’s personality so well. Art is a really easy character to like, and the story is written by “him,” so in places he complains a lot about his older sister, and skips to the battle scenes. His actions, and perspective on everything, made me giggle a bit. I couldn’t stand his sister Myrtle- though. She just seemed the opposite of Art; stuck up and unfriendly. I think it was intended for a reader to dislike her at first- because later in the novel, we get her diary entries, and whilst she’s still a bit annoying in them, I did grow to like her a little more through those.

Overall, Larklight is an imaginative, roller-coaster of a book! The world was simply amazing- I loved the historical aspects that Philip Reeve has used, and put his own twists on. All so original! I planned on not reading the sequel (Starcross) this month yet, but I might end up reading it, actually- I want more of the setting! More of the adventure! The plot in Larklight has a very strange mixture of everything, but it all works, thanks to Philip Reeve, and his brilliant writing and world-building skills. The two siblings whom the story is centered around are both very three-dimensional characters, though I still really couldn’t like Myrtle much. Hopefully she’ll become more likeable in the rest of the series. I can’t wait to read on!

My Rating:

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I purchased a copy of Larklight from a local bookstore!

Spotlight on Steampunk!

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EMBEDDED IMUJ PERMALINK In October I was going through my TBR pile, and I realised I have a few Steampunk books. I moved them straight up near the top, because I wanted to read them sooner. Then, I was thinking about the titles- I absolutely love Steampunk art, fashion and comics- but I really don’t read enough Steampunk fiction! I wasn’t sure how I’d get myself to read more of it, and while I was wondering this, I was doing my Halloween Reads blog event. So… what better way to read a big chunk of my Steampunk TBR than a readathon-turned-bloggy-event?

So, what is Steampunk?

Steampunk is a genre under the Sci Fi umbrella, and it was mainly inspired by H G Wells and similar authors from that time. Steampunk books, comics, art and movies are pretty much all set in the Victorian era, and based around steam powered machinery- hence the name (: Mostly it’s Victorian Futurism: How Victorians saw their future.

The genre has become really popular! I was introduced to it by a series of comics called Lady Mechanika, by American artist Joe Benitez. After reading and loving them and the unique world, I discovered lots of Steampunk art. I’ve been obsessed with the Victorian-era styles of the outfits, and I’ve always been doodling them. One of my early doodles that I created using inspiration from Steampunk Art books and Lady Mechanika is below!

Probably one of the most popular Steampunk books at the moment is Clockwork Angel and its two sequels, by Cassandra Clare. They’re so brilliant! Some other steampunk books I’ve read include the first in the Battles of Ben Kingdom series and The Feathered Man by Jeremy De Quidt. If you’ve read and enjoyed any of those, you might be interested in the books I’ll be reading over this fortnight! (:

Additionally, I’ll likely have a discussion post up at some point. I’m also going to be hosting an interview with Nigel McDowell, whose Steampunk-Fantasy debut Tall Tales from Pitch End was published earlier this year with Hot Key. It’s not definite yet, but I may have a guest post coming up from Stefan Bachmann, author of The Peculiar, too! Keep reading this blog until the 14th, for some awesome steampunk stuff ;D

November’s books, and December’s To Read list!

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Hello, people! November’s been quite frantic, mainly because for some crazy reason, I decided to do the big 50k NaNoWriMo.
I failed miserably… At just under 20k! That means I’ll probably be sticking back to the YWP program next year! I blame school and homework. But, at least, NaNoWriMo got me to write half a novel idea I like down, and I’m pretty proud of the thirteen chapters I’ve done. Hopefully I’ll be finishing it someday!
As art coursework and NaNoWriMo happened a lot this month, I didn’t read as much as I’d hoped, though I have read some pretty awesome titles this month. Here they are: I haven’t reviewed many yet, but if a review has been posted, you’ll be brought to it by clicking on the book jacket! (:
Read in November:

I Am Pusheen the Cat Noughts & Crosses (Noughts & Crosses, #1) We Will Destroy Your Planet: An Alien's Guide to Conquering the Earth

The Wells Bequest (The Grimm Legacy, #2)

To Read in December:
EMBEDDED IMUJ PERMALINK As of tomorrow, my Spotlight on Steampunk fortnight will start! Therefore, I’ve got a lot of steampunk fiction on my TBR. This is the selection (right) I definitely need to read, that I tweeted out yesterday: (I’m currently reading Larklight!)

As for ARCs, here are a few of those on the TBR pile, too! As well as various Hot Key/Templar/Piccadilly ones from the bloggers event that I’ve already blogged about, I also have, to read and review:

-The Almost Girl by Amalie Howard
-The Queen of Dreams by Peter Hamilton
-Chasing the Dark by Sam Hepburn (won from an author event!)

I hope I get around to read all of these, because they all seem awesome. Have you read any of the book I have this month, or any on my TBR for December? Leave a comment, and link back to your own monthly wrap up! (:

Finding Your Inner Cherokee

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By Siobhan Curham, published on the Kindle store (eBook only!).

Synopsis from Siobhan’s site: Finding Your Inner Cherokee is a FREE, non-fiction e-book , full of case studies, exercises and advice, designed to help empower and inspire the victims of bullying.

It is available on Amazon and all other e-book retailers. You can download a copy for FREE here.

I was inspired to write the book after my novel Finding Cherokee Brown was published and I received emails from readers telling me that the book had helped them deal with bullying in their lives.

Reading their emails made me want to do more to help. So, drawing upon my own experiences of bullying and my work as a life coach, I created this book.

I am giving Finding Your Inner Cherokee away for FREE so that anyone who needs or wants to read it will be able to.

My Review: Siobhan. Siobhan Curham, you absolute genius. This book helps SO much, and I just wish it was around when I was a bit younger, so my younger, more-frequently-bullied self could read it!

When being bullied, you always get the plain and simple tell a teacher advice, from a member of staff at school, or someone similar. either that, or you’re given a book from your school library, that’s a really boring book that doesn’t help you: I’ve been recommended one of those in the past. Now, Siobhan- one of my favourite UKYA authors- has released this: An amazing guide, that stands out from the market entirely. I’ll be recommending it to everyone in my school, and nagging my school librarian to put a poster up about it!

This eBook is divided into different chapters, covering different aspects of all parts of Bullying- and how you can beat it. Each page, each paragraph, was inspirational and moving. Siobhan mentions her own bullying experiences, (She also wrote a guest post for me about it here) and every now and then, there are passages from other bullying vicitms. These were all so saddening and eye-opening, though there are also examples of the writing exercise these victims did, to help themselves. They’re all so thought provoking!

Don’t mistake the tasks in this book for the usual “count to ten” “Walk away slowly” nonsense. Nope! These are all writing (Or the occasional dancing!) exercises to do at home. They really, really do improve your confidence, and so you definitely need to keep a notebook and pen by your side, when reading this! Siobhan is a genius at coaching through writing; as she’s already shown with her life-and-writing companies, Dare To Write and Dare To Dream. I can’t recommend this book enough, for its guides to calming yourself, and realising that the bullying is not your fault. It’s so helpful.

Overall, Siobhan’s Finding Your Inner Cherokee eBook is definitely one to get a copy of: It’s such a useful guide, that, should I ever get bullied again, I’ll be re-reading over and over. Curham’s writing is so direct, and reassuring. I’m so glad I was able to read this book, as the writing tasks made me realise that I’m awesome and that the bullies are the opposite 😀 (Hopefully that was Siobhan’s intended message…) It also really helps you to understand a bully. I can’t recommend this little guide enough- go grab a copy! Recommend it to everyone! I’ll be doing that!

My Rating:

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I received a copy of Finding Your Inner Cherokee from the author, in exchange for a review. In no way at all did this affect my thoughts.

Pivot Point

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By Kasie West, published by Harper Collins (US).

Pivot Point (Pivot Point, #1) Goodreads Synopsis: Knowing the outcome doesn’t always make a choice easier . . .

Addison Coleman’s life is one big “What if?” As a Searcher, whenever Addie is faced with a choice, she can look into the future and see both outcomes. It’s the ultimate insurance plan against disaster. Or so she thought. When Addie’s parents ambush her with the news of their divorce, she has to pick who she wants to live with—her father, who is leaving the paranormal compound to live among the “Norms,” or her mother, who is staying in the life Addie has always known. Addie loves her life just as it is, so her answer should be easy. One Search six weeks into the future proves it’s not.

In one potential future, Addie is adjusting to life outside the Compound as the new girl in a Norm high school where she meets Trevor, a cute, sensitive artist who understands her. In the other path, Addie is being pursued by the hottest guy in school—but she never wanted to be a quarterback’s girlfriend. When Addie’s father is asked to consult on a murder in the Compound, she’s unwittingly drawn into a dangerous game that threatens everything she holds dear. With love and loss in both lives, it all comes down to which reality she’s willing to live through . . . and who she can’t live without.

My Review: WOW. Just, quite simply, WOW. This book was just mind blowing. It was so original, and thought provoking, and a brilliant science-fiction twist on a real-life situation, and I could literally talk about the concept for hours.

Addie is a girl living in a compound that we never get to know the full secrets behind, which annoyed me. (Though I’m guessing that’s to come in book 2, Split Second!) IT’s a mysterious town hidden away in America, where all of the residents have different kinds of powers- mostly mind powers. Some are telekinetic, or telepathic, or if you’re like Addie; at points where you have to make decisions, you can view the two paths you could take, before choosing one. Not reading the synopsis properly, I didn’t realise that the book was split into two worlds; two alternating chapters…

Addie comes home from her high school, to find out that her parents want her to make a life-changing decision: Who does she live with, Mum or Dad, when they split up? Utterly torn by the decision, Addie uses her Search skills, to view the futures she would have in either path, Mum or Dad. I was confused at first because I didn’t realise that every other chapter was of the different search, but once I’d realised that, I was amazed. I was really worried that the story would jumble up- there are, effectively, two different stories happening at once- but miraculously, it didn’t. Kasie West’s writing is immaculate. I understood everything perfectly- and the format was so original, and unlike anything that I’ve ever seen before.

Both plots (I’ll have to refer to them as two separate things! Though, they do link in places- that sounds confusing… but read this and it’ll all make sense!) were really well thought out. I couldn’t decide which one I preferred. In one Path, Addie moves out of the Compound to live in the real world, where she must conceal her powers. In another world, she stays in the Compound with one parent, but in both of the Paths, events behind to take place that shake everything up. I was so hooked on both of the stories; devouring each chapter, eager to read on. Kasie’s cleverly used cliffhangers to her advantage., and it definitely worked.

Addie is a character that I loved to read the story of. I could relate to her really easily, through her realistic teenage problems, to her love of books (yay!). She has a best friend who I also absolutely adored… and the last events of the book had me so scared for her, but I don’t think I can say much more than that without spoiling things. Addie has a very complex sort of love story woven into her life (lives?). IN one path, she meets a new boy who isn’t Gifted like her. However, in another path, she dates a boy with Gifts, who she has known vaguely for a while. Though you don’t get to know much about Addie’s opinions on her Path choices, you can interpret them- it’s obvious she really struggled with what side to pick. I loved her final decision, though.

As I was reading quite fast, utterly addicted to the story, I found the ending to the novel quite abrupt. I had to read over it a few times, for the result to actually sink in, and was a little bit disappointed the epilogue wasn’t slightly longer. I’m really interested to see what happens in the sequel, Split Second. I hope it’s in a format like this one was, with two different choices, and more detailing on the background of this supernatural Compound. Though, I think Pivot Point would be good as a simple standalone, because it keeps you thinking about the plot and the character long after you put it down.

Overall, Pivot Point is, as I said at the beginning, mind blowing. The concept is very powerful, and there is actually nothing I can compare it to. Well done, Kasie, for creating a book that I think I’ll be re-reading a lot, until I can grab a copy of the sequel! Addie is such an unforgettable protagonist. I loved her Talent, and the way that she dealt with everything. The plots were quite different but some of the events were similar- the two Paths were cleverly linked in places. I’m now really excited for the sequel, Split Second- As I have no idea what could happen in that, but I really badly want to re-visit Addie’s unique world again.

My Rating:

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I received a copy of Pivot Point from the publisher, in exchange for a review. In no way at all did this affect my thoughts.