Ever thought what life would be like without an abundance of metals?

Back to basics in the extreme – horse or mules or man power. This is the reality Steven Gould explores in his mash up of political intrigue, martial arts action, spaghetti western and science fiction story, 7th Sigma.

A chance meeting between a boy (Kimble ‘Kim’) and a woman (Ruth), looking to start an aikido dojo, leads to an unexpected friendship and a meeting of two great minds. Whilst avoiding the metal eating ‘bugs’ and acquiring supplies for Ruth; Kim is recognized by a Ranger and, as part of an arrangement, in return for not handing Kim over to the authorities as a runaway child, Kimble is given covert operation status and has to find information on many of the local crooks.Training follows on from some rather successful missions and we spend most of the book tailing Kimble as he shadows his targets.

I found the concepts of an alternate reality post-apocalyptic, mid-western, society rather intriguing. There’s a feel of the old westerns with horses, guns, and wide open spaces. But it’s flipped on its lid due to a scientific screw up where there are solar powered ‘bugs’ whose sole purpose is to consume anything metal to create clones of themselves. Step on a ‘bug’ and they swarm to consume their fallen member, chewing through anything in their way.

Kimble is an unassuming young lad with an eye for detail and a good gut instinct. His relationship with Ruth stretches far beyond that of a Sensei and her student – and more into that of kindred spirits. His sense of justice leads him into trouble more than once, but it is nice to see a kid that knows right from wrong.

There were a few moments in the book where Steven jumps ahead only to have to rehash a scene we weren’t witness to, and a couple of times I just wanted to skip ahead – but all in all this is an enjoyable book.

I would love to hear feedback from someone who actually knows and practices Aikido to see if the mood of the story stays true to the teachings of the art. As someone who knows nothing about Aikido, it feels calm, and somewhat calculating, but smooth at the same time.

The other highlight for me is Mrs. P(but you’ll just have to read the book to find out who this hot headed character is).

Wait for a quiet weekend to putter through this book. It deserves your full attention and rewards you greatly with an uplifting ending.

• Hardcover: 384 pages
• Publisher: Tor Books; First Edition edition (July 5, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312877153
• ISBN-13: 978-0312877156

The Book of Eador, Abjurations 12:14, clearly states: Suffer ye not the life of a witch. For a thousand years, the Church Knights have obeyed that commandment, putting to death any who are found guilty of hearing the Songs of the Earth. Even if it means it’s one of their own.

Songs of the Earth rings all the bells and tones of a traditional fantasy epic: A brave hero to save us all, magic and misinformation and a world similar to our own, but so very far removed. Teeming with a Dark Ages-Esque theme and brimming with knights and the iron rule of the church, Songs of the Earth sets us down in the thick of the darkest day in Gair’s life so far.

As a novice knight who can hear the music and harness the power that resounds within the notes, Gair amazingly escapes the trial with his life intact. Not all are happy with his sentence though and Gair must flee the knights and  the witch finder who thirst for his blood.  Gair doesn’t have time to learn to control his rapidly growing powers yet, if he doesn’t, disaster will be the only outcome. His only hope is the Guardians of the Veil—a super-secretive Order, almost in extinction thanks to the Church. And just to top off a seat-of-his-pants wild ride, the Veil between Gair’s world and the world that lurks in the shadows is weakening and Gair has a date with destiny.

Now, while this a thoroughly satisfying and enjoyable quest, it doesn’t contain that ring of “freshness” you usually receive when you enter into a new world of wonder and magic. It does feel a little like you will know exactly what issue will pop up next for Gair, but there are passages of such vividly rich action that save the weaker plot points. Unfortunately, the character descriptions are vague, and, for those of you who love to have a mental picture like I do, you are likely to find this a little annoying.

Some sections did get a little too bogged down in religious dogma for my liking but it does still fit with the story and adds to its development.  The character development is strong and Gair’s journey to awaken his true self is so heartwarming that you will be left with a warm and fuzzy feeling. Cooper has put a lot of thought and energy into capturing the action and magic for the reader with the way she has woven her words. It will embed itself in your subconscious and you could find yourself spending your sleeping hours journeying along with Gair.

All in all, Songs of the Earth is a lovely journey of self-growth, with plenty of magic thrown in; and it is a wonderful way to while away a few afternoons. This debut novel shows real promise for what could become a mind-blowing trilogy.

Song of the Earth is the first in a trilogy, with Trinity Moon and The Dragon House to come. Author info can be found here.

Songs of the Earth—Elspeth Cooper

Published April 2011, Orion Books

Paperback, 467 Pages

ISBN:978–0-575-09615-8

Description from book:

Maddie lives in a world where everything is done on the computer. Whether it’s to go to school or on a date, people don’t venture out of their home. There’s really no need. For the most part, Maddie’s okay with the solitary, digital life-until she meets Justin. Justin likes being with people. He enjoys the physical closeness of face-to-face interactions. People aren’t meant to be alone, he tells her.
Suddenly, Maddie feels something awakening inside her-a feeling that maybe there is a different, better way to live. But with society and her parents telling her otherwise, Maddie is going to have to learn to stand up for herself if she wants to change the path her life is taking.
In this not-so-brave new world, two young people struggle to carve out their own space.

Maddie is living a very comfortable life. She has plenty of friends, she always has something to keep herself busy and does not want for anything. The only catch is that her life is lived on the computer; her “friends” know her only by screen names and video chatting is as close as she gets to seeing other people. The year is 2060 and  the toll that violence has taken on the schools and society in general has driven everybody inside.

Maddie’s father is the one who has developed the whole curriculum for Digital School. He is a very strict, revered and wealthy man. Her mother, on the other hand, clings to more classical ideas of life and friendship and tries to instil in Maddie the knowledge of what it means to actually meet new people.

One day, a study buddy unexpectedly invites Maddie to meet him IRL (In Real Life); and, after overcoming some anxiety, she decides to just do it. That decision and her introduction to Justin takes Maddie on an adventure into a whole new world.

Looking at the cover, you would never expect to find such an amazingly fast-paced, subtly dystopian novel. The novel features futuristic cars and technology; they are very intriguing, and it is exciting to think about them as possibilities for our own future. The romance and interaction between Maddie and Justin was actually a very nice change from the other books I have read recently. We actually see a girl that is very nervous about how to even approach the subject. It’s painfully obvious that her  lack of real dating experience and interaction with other people is emotionally stressful and confusing.

On the other hand, Justin really has a bigger plan that has been put into action upon their meeting, and his selfless actions and decisions are for the greater good. There is something much bigger than the two of them happening, but they are the key to getting it to work. His bigger plan is what leads to some very frustrating and irksome scenes between the two romantically.

In today’s world, where our lives our spent on computers, tablets, and smartphones, this book spoke to me on a personal level. It is very similar to what I imagine the world my grandchildren will be living in, in the near and believable future.

I suppose the cover represents the idea that you cannot keep life contained. A flower inside a jar cannot grow or live for very long without the nurture of nature.

Awaken is one of my favorite reads of the year, very captivating, emotionally frustrating and eye opening.

Awaken—Katie Kacvinsky
Hardcover 320 Pages
Published May 23, 2011 — Houghton Mifflin Books for Children
ISBN 0547371489 (ISBN13: 9780547371481)

We’d like to give a resounding welcome to Lisa Smith who is the new teen blogger for our site. We had some terrific applications for the position of Burn Bright teen blogger but Lisa’s natural style and personality caught our eye. We look forward to her reviews and upcoming posts. Congrats to Lisa and thank you to those who sent us their reviews for consideration.

Lisa’s bio:

Lisa Smith is only sixteen, and already has four addictions, reading, coffee, chocolate and blogging! She lives in the Northwest, and will be a junior in high school this year. When she grows up she wants to become a professional reviewer, and still run her own blog.

Her reviews are from a teen perspective, making them easy going and fun! If you want to check out her reviews, http://turningpages94.blogspot.com/

I believe Round the Twist started the golden age of TV for kids and young adults. It took the strange, ridiculous and the roll-on-the-floor funny stories penned by the genius author, Paul Jennings, and brought them to life in the most wonderful way. You may all have been read, or picked up a copy of Paul’s books at some stage in your life. You may not even have known you were reading his work, but his quirky work is unmistakable

Some of the short stories that stick in my mind are the ones I was read in grade 3, the year after the TV series was released (Now you maths whizzes can figure out how old I am later). Having moved schools from a very back water country town, to an even more back water country town that just had better TV reception, I was shocked to hear stories of stomach-churning grossness and ‘far out there’ tales of tattoos on children – and gas, lots and lots of gas.

To see these books come to life on the TV screen was more than anyone could have expected. It became the much talked about cult classic of the playground. “Did you see what Bronson did?” ”Linda is way hot.” “Did you have nightmares?”

So without further ado I’ll give you the youtube clip of Episode 1 from back in 1989, Skeleton on the Dunny,

where we are first introduced to the Twist family. The family consisted of Tony (dad), Pete and Linda, (twins) and Bronson (younger brother). They move into a lighthouse and right from the world go, the fun never stopped. The first season was released in 1989. The second season was released in 1994. The third season was released in 2000 and the final season in 2001. I can only confess to watching the first 2 series, even if it was through my fingers, or from behind the lounge chair. I can bet you a fair sum of money that anyone over the age of 15 knows the lyrics to that theme song, and since the program has gone through many, MANY replays, that age could go even lower.

I really hope there can be a second golden age for young adult audiences. What was your favourite Paul Jennings story, and was it converted into an episode of Round the Twist?

Marianne here:

As I was posting Bel’s blog today, I had a sudden desire to hear the music. Round the Twist was on of my favourite TV shows of all time. Here’s a fan video for you to sing to, with lyrics underneath.

Have you ever, ever felt like this,
When strange things happen,
Are you going round the twist?

Have you ever, ever felt like this,
When strange things happen,
Are you going round the twist?

Well have you heard the word about the bird and the spider?
It wiggled and wiggled and jiggled inside her.

Have you ever, ever felt like this,
When strange things happen,
Are you going round the twist?

Have you ever, ever felt like this,
When strange things happen,
Are you going? Are you going round the twist?