Storm Thief, by Chris Wooding

First off, let me start out by saying that Chris Wooding is extremely cool. He’s one of those reliable authors; all of his books are different and have an independence about them, but they are all equally good. He just doesn’t disappoint. I was reading his bio online, and it’s hysterical. Here’s a snippet:

University had broadened his horizons from the somewhat sheltered existence in the post-industrial doomscape of his home town, and he began to travel. He spent months in the USA to see if it matched up to the world represented in the movies he had grown up with, after which he travelled to the Far East where he got lost in a Malaysian jungle, and later backpacked around Europe where he almost managed to starve on a train between Athens and Budapest. After that he went to Japan where he was only saved from a hobo-esque existence trapped in the impenetrable Tokyo subway system by a kind passer-by, and to South Africa where he witnessed one of his best friends being mauled by a cheetah but was too paralysed with laughter to intervene. His last trip was to Scandinavia, where nothing life-threatening happened to him, which was nice.

Anyway, on to the book.

I was casually browsing our teen collection the other day, when I came across Storm Thief. I wasn’t aware that it was a new book, only that it was something by Wooding that I hadn’t read. I immediately snatched it up, and was happy to find the 2006 publishing date. I dove right in. The story is set in Orokos, a vast city that is also an island (sort of the way Coruscant is a vast city that is also a planet, I guess). Orokos is plagued with many problems: monsters, criminals, a ruthless goverment, and probablity storms that rain down chaos. The tale is primarily that of Rail and Moa, two teenage thieves, and Vago, a strange and unnatural creature. The story begins with Rail and Moa stealing an ancient and valuable artifact. When they are caught, they are forced to flee their home. They meet Vago, who is also on the run, and who possesses something that convinces Moa to invite him on their journey. Together, the three of them must survive the ravages of Orokos long enough to reach the sanctuary of Kilatas and possibly escape from the island once and for all. Except there’s one little problem: there’s no way to escape from Orokos, because Orokos is all there is. And maybe, just maybe, Kilatas isn’t the sanctuary that it’s made out to be. Despite their best plans and efforts, in the end, all Rail, Moa, and Vago have are courage, luck, and the artifact as they face insurmountable odds: murderers, traitors, the secret police, the Chaos Engine, the skimmers, and something unpleasantly Soylent Green-esque (hint: it’s people)!

I had John Connolly’s The Book of Lost Things sitting on my nightstand for weeks. I kept renewing it, because even though I wanted to read it, I was just never in the mood. Finally, the other day I was just hanging around, so I picked it up and plunged in. What a treat! Set in WWII England, the story follows David, a 12-year-old who has just lost his mother. While still reeling from her death, he finds out that his father is remarrying and his soon-to-be stepmother is pregnant. Suddenly David finds himself living in a large country house, with only his stepmother and new brother to keep him company. He grows more and more distant from his family, losing himself in the dark, disturbing fairy tales that line the walls of his new room.

And that’s when the Crooked Man appears.

Suddenly, David’s world changes violently. He is pulled into a dangerous alternate universe, populated by terrifying creatures and ruled by a helpless king. It soon becomes clear that David must find the king and the mysterious Book of Lost Things if he is ever to return home. Thus David embarks on a quest, his every move tracked by the evil and dangerous Crooked Man. But there’s more at stake on this quest than even David realizes, and only by completing his journey can David come to terms with his new life and finally begin the process of growing up.

As I’m sure you know, Valley of Silence is the third and final book in Nora Roberts’s Circle Trilogy. I actually read it when it came out on Halloween, but I’m just now getting around to writing about it. So, here’s my take: it was kind of meh. Don’t get me wrong; I enjoyed it, both because I really like Nora Roberts and because I wanted to know how the story would end. But it took me longer than usual to get through it. The beginning moved slowly; it was all build up, build up, build up…and then the battle was over in just a couple of pages. Also, the outcome was fairly predictable: not only did I know who would win, but I also knew all along whe the "old man" narrator was. The romantic aspects of the book were fine, if few and far between, but I did get tired of the inner battles that both Moira and Cian were facing. Yes, we love each other, but I’m a queen and you’re a vampire…yawn. I guess I just thought this book would be more fast-paced and fiery. Overall, it was solid, and I’m glad I read it, but I think Roberts has done better. On the plus side, I always enjoy it when Roberts delves into the fantastic, and I really like the vampire bent of the story.

Dance of the Gods is the second book in Nora Roberts’s Circle Trilogy. Although I really enjoyed it, it kind of fell prey to The Two Towers curse: it’s the middle part of an epic battle, so the reader is left without the excitement of the intro or the satisfaction of the finale. Nevertheless, Roberts handles it well; the circle of six travel to Geall, where the battle is to take place. While there, they continue their training as they try to form an army of unprepared Geallians. Despite their efforts, Lilith and her minions reach Geall ahead of schedule, and manage to inflict some heavy damage to the troops. In the midst of it all, Blair the demon hunter and Larkin the shape-shifter find themselves falling in love. But can their love transcend both time and dimensions? That is, assuming they survive the coming war. I guess we’ll find out on Halloween, when Valley of Silence is released. Conveniently enough, within the story the great battle is set to take place on Samhain, so that’s some nice planning on the part of Roberts and her publishing company.

I have an interesting story associated with this book. I first came across it on a shelving cart one day. I casually thumbed through it, and though I was intrigued, I saw that it was geared toward teens, so I put it back without noting the author. A few days later I changed my mind and decided I wanted the book. Although I couldn’t remember the exact title, I had a pretty good idea of what I was looking for. I checked the catalog under journaling. Nothing. Diaries. Nothing. Guided writing. Nothing. Nothing on Amazon. None of my coworkers could figure it out. I tried wandering the stacks. Nada. It took me weeks of searching, but I finally located the book, and not only have I renewed it the maximum number of times, I’ve also added it to my Amazon wishlist. For those of you who are interested, take note: Spiritual Journaling: Writing Your Way to Independence, by Julie Tallard Johnson.

Although this book is geared toward young adults, I feel that the content can be useful to anyone. Not only is it filled with inspirational quotes and sample journal entries, but it has handy “off the page” exercises that direct you outdoors to find your inspiration. I’ve always wanted to be an avid journaler, but whenever I pick mine up, it seems that I never have anything to say. This book helps with that, as Johnson gives you suggestions and questions to get you going. There’s just something about the book that makes me feel more connected to Spirit, and I like that. Even when I’m not in the mood to write, I enjoy flipping through the book and skimming random pages, just because it makes me feel good. It’s a cool way to connect to spirituality while bypassing religion (if you so choose).