Katelyn McBride is a ballet dancer, a gymnast and has dreams of joining Cirque du Soleil. Her life in Santa Monica, California comes crashing down around her ears in the form of an earthquake; one which claims the life of her last living parent, her mother.
In the weeks that follow, she buries her Mum and is shipped off to a backwater town called Wolf Springs to live with a grandfather she barely knows. Salvation comes in the form of a Mustang-driving young man called Trick.
There are mysteries in Wolf Springs, strange noises and young girls being found dead in the woods. Katelyn suffers extreme culture shock as she is required to learn how to shoot a gun and is warned off going out alone after dark. But a flat tire changes her life completely.
Who is the owner of the blue eyes that will forever haunt her dreams and what’s going to happen on the night of the next full moon?
The market seems to be flooded with angels and vampires at the moment so I was excited to switch things up a little and pick up the first book in the Wolf Springs Chronicles, Unleashed.
I started reading this on a stormy Sunday afternoon; the ambience of the weather matched the mood and the setting of the book so well that before I knew it I was 300 pages in and having to put it down to catch some sleep, but the decision to stay up to finish was a near thing.
The first thing to hit you head on with this amazing book is that it is surprisingly sensitive without being mushy. Our lead character, though vegetarian, isn’t used to being molly coddled and finds aspects of her new home quite restrictive.
I felt like I was in Katelyn’s skin, I could empathise with her about being the new girl and the need to hold it all together so you’re not given the label of ‘freak’ in the first few weeks, and yet needing to let loose and be yourself.
I’m a big fan of getting out into the middle of nowhere and my wild side was awakened with scenes of Trick and Katelyn tearing down woodland roads to get to school in the Mustang. Must admit I’m a rev head too, so these moments were doubly thrilling for me.
As for the romance side of things, there is a few smoldering embers that will need only a breath to ignite, and the forecast says wildfires are due in the next book; but who will be consumed by her passion?
I have no complaints about this book except that I ran out of pages long before my appetite was sated… I want to know more. I want the best for Katelyn and I will probably go a little insane waiting to find out what transpires in the next book.
If you’re in the mood for something just a little different consider Unleashed to add to your shelves. You really won’t regret it.
Paperback, 383 pages
Published December 8th 2011 by Doubleday Children’s Books (first published November 22nd 2011)
ISBN
0857530712 (ISBN13: 9780857530714)
http://www.wolfspringschronicles.com
I spent most of my life growing up in a single parent home and learned that being a woman isn’t a disadvantage. If anything it was a big advantage, because you were able to be tough like a guy, and yet, do it in high heels. So when I read a book where the main female character can’t stand on her own two feet, I tune out.
An article in February’s Australian Women’s Weekly features some of the nation’s best romance writers, one of which I met for the first time at Supanova last year. Kerri Arthur is quoted as saying -in the 70’s and 80’s- “The fantasy heroines were always falling over, needing to be rescued, and it just irritated the hell out of me.” I have to say I agree, and luckily, for the most part, authors writing speculative fiction novels for both adults and young adults have realized that the era of the ‘weak’ girl is well and truly over.
It is no secret I have a habit of pre-judging books written by men with a female lead, because as the old saying goes, Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus… men just don’t always get it. That being said, male authors who have women critique their manuscripts early on, write their girls just as well as a woman could.
Trent Jamieson, in his Death Works trilogy, has his leading lady saving the main man in the first scene. His character Lissa Jones is believable, credible and, best of all, enjoyable. Lissa pulls no punches. If she needs saving, it is only after she has tried every other way to get herself out of the situation. None of this woe is me crap for her.
Daniel Waters surprised the heck out of me with the first book in his Generation Dead series, and his character
Phoebe Kendall. She dances to the beat of her own drum and eventually falls in love with a zombie. Her ability to be kind hearted and inclusive was what won me over here. Despite what her critics at school said, she stood by her own morals. That takes strength, guts… and Braiiiins.
Justin Somper has more than just the one kick arse chick in his Vampirates series. Cheng Li and Grace Tempest are two different sides of the same coin. They both have strong morals and Cheng Li is certainly a wily, tough trail blazer in the male dominated world of Pirating; whereas Grace is intelligent but mostly driven by emotion and instinct. Being much younger than Cheng Li, she has a lot yet to learn.
Joss Whedon is a man synonymous with the Buffy the Vampire Slayer TV show. There is no need for any more explanation than that.
It is possible to have a man writing a convincing, and iconic female lead, and though I am not an extreme feminist, I do believe it to be unforgivable crime to make a leading lady weak and helpless when we have been singing ‘Sisters are Doin’ it for Themselves’ for close to thirty years.
I’d love to know of any other male authors you’ve read who write a good strong leading lady.
“In a world where people born with an exceptional skill, known as a Grace, are feared and exploited, Katsa carries the burden of a skill even she despises: the Grace of killing.”
The first installment of Kristin Cashore’s Seven Kingdom’s saga tells the story of Katsa, a woman who is unnaturally apt at killing. The book starts off with the heroine fulfilling a mission for the Council, an underground organization founded by her, in which she has to retrieve an old man from another country. However, what at first seems a simple plot, unravels into a complicated ploy.
Graceling’s story unfolds at the right pace. Certain things that, in the hands of another author would probably drag on and on, in Kristin Cashore’s hands take up just the right amount of time. Her timing is remarkable and so is her sense of plot development.
Cashore’s writing is surprisingly fresh, evocative and nearly hypnotic. She doesn’t over describe; whenever she paints a picture, she describes it clearly and cleanly, which I find to be a blessing nowadays. She is intricate in her prose without being overly so, and it makes the book so much more pleasant to read.
Then, there are the characters. Katsa is very relatable, even though she is blessed with such a destructive power, and isn’t an overpowering force of nature. Even though Grace isn’t born just to kill – I’m not going to say anymore so as to avoid spoilers, – she can do little else besides it, making her a flawed, realistic persona. There are also parts when Katsa’s otherwise unstoppable Grace is a weakness. The author explores her gift fully, both the good and the bad side of it.
I also loved Po, who was also “Graced”, and he added a measure of calmness in contrast with Katsa’s impulsiveness. These two are the main characters, and my favorites, but the secondary characters are equally well-written. The cast is amazing and you can see every single one of its elements serves a purpose. Without them the story wouldn’t have worked out.
I found the romance in the book to be well thought-out and heart-warming. It takes time to develop and when it finally does, it makes sense. It isn’t just a man and a woman being thrown together. They really care about each other and it’s a beautiful thing.
The end is satisfying without compromising the personalities of any of the characters. It’s quite an accomplishment, and so is this book. It’s a great, fulfilling read that you just can’t put down.
I really loved Graceling, with its amazing cast and fantastic writing. I look forward to reading more books by Kristin Cashore and hope she continues on being as amazing as she was this time around.
Publisher: Gollancz (22 Jan 2009)
Language English
ISBN-10: 0575084502
ISBN-13: 978-0575084506
We’re loving this brand new review of Yunyu’s song, Angel Arias and Marianne’s book Burn Bright:
Angel Arias + Burn Bright (book) = Pure Brilliance
by Firelighter18
I can’t rave more about this song if you’ve never heard of Yunyu I would recommend buying this song as it gives you a fantastic taste of what Yunyu has to offer in her music. If this is your first time hearing her I would also suggest buying Lenore’s Song and You Are Expendable both are simply excellent!
This song perfectly captures the book Burn Bright by Marianne de Pierres I would recommend to you the novel as well it’s very dark,strange and gothic but a magnificence story to read with strong character’s and an amazing world that is unforgettable and it’s by far my favourite series to read. ; )
