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’ve actually been reading quite a lot lately, but two titles really stood out to me. The first was Morrigan’s Cross, the latest effort from uber-author Nora Roberts. It seems that she writes a mass market trilogy every year (last year it was the In the Garden trilogy, featuring Blue Dahlia, Black Rose, and Red Lily). This season she brings us the Circle trilogy, of which Morrigan’s Cross is the first. It is the tale of Lilith, an ancient and powerful vampire determined to destroy the world. In an effort to stop her, the goddess Morrigan recruits six people from different places and times to form an army. Each recruit brings a special skill: Hoyt, a powerful sorcerer from the past; his twin brother Cian, who was long ago turned by Lilith; Glenna, a present-day witch; Moira, a princess and scholar from the mythical land of Geall, and her cousin Larkin, a warrior and shape-shifter. Last to arrive is Blair, a tough demon fighter with Buffyesque sensibilities. This first part of the trilogy brings the fighters to Ireland, where they begin their training for the upcoming battle. Of course, the story isn’t all about war; it wouldn’t Nora Roberts without love. In the midst of all the fighting, Hoyt and Glenna find tenderness and passion; Roberts handles it deftly, making it both romantic and sexy. The remaining books in the series, Dance of the Gods and Valley of Silence, will be released at the beginning and end of October, respectively. I’m looking forward to them.

I also just finished New Moon, Stephenie Meyer’s sequel to the best-selling Twilight. If you’ve read Twilight, you know that it’s the tale of star-crossed lovers: Bella, a teenage girl, and Edward, the vampire who both loves her and who is dangerously drawn to her blood. New Moon opens with an incident that convinces Edward that Bella will never be safe with him; he ruthlessly breaks her heart and leaves her, promising that she will never see him again. His departure leaves Bella in a near-catatonic state; it is months before she can function again. She finds solace in her friend Jacob, and the two of them begin to form a powerful bond. Just as Bella begins to wonder whether she can live happily without Edward, all hell breaks loose: Jacob transforms into something dangerous, and becomes remote and withdrawn. Bella simultaneously discovers that Edward is determined to end his own existence and must do all that she can to save him. Her actions place her in the middle of two powerful and opposing factions, and she must struggle to save both her relationship with Edward and her friendship with Jacob. I won’t reveal whether Bella’s wish to become a vampire is granted, but I will tell you that Meyer has planned at least two more novels in the series, as well as a companion to Twilight, which tells the same story from Edward’s perspective. Delicious.