Joss Whedon”s Dollhouse continues, written by television-series mainstays Andrew Chambliss (the CW”s Vampire Diaries, co-writer of Buffy Season 9), Maurissa Tancharoen (Spartacus), and Jed Whedon (Dr. Horrible) The Rossum Corporation”s Dollhouse technology has gone viral with a synchronized phone call that wiped the minds of everyone it reached, turning them into mindless killers. Those who avoided the call – including show favorites Echo, Alpha, Mag, Zone, and Griff – must try to survive in the sudden apocalypse and be wary of Rossum”s expansive technological reach. This is only the beginning …

Paperback, First Edition, 160 pages Published April 11th 2012 by Dark Horse ISBN 159582863X (ISBN13: 9781595828637)

I am a fan of the TV series so  I thought I would give this one a try, just out of curiosity. I found that the art and the story were very well put together and detailed and I’d recommend it.

In this story, it’s all out war when anybody who picks up the phone can be turned into a soldier for the bad guys by a high pitched noise that erases their brain function and makes them a fighter body. It gives everybody the look of being zombie-like in character (minus the eating of people) and they are out to kill those that have not been converted.

Nobody is safe, even Dollhouse workers cannot avoid the conversion if they hear the noise.
Echo takes over as many people as possible to fight back, that is, she transfers herself into other people’s brains to take over their body. Some of her bodies die and some make it to the meeting point where they begin to form a resistance group who try to break into the company’s headquarters and take control of the brain-washing technology.

My favorite part about the story was the young boy that gets a computer plate put into his head, and by doing so he can just put a usb port in containing the knowledge he needs and upload it into his brain as required. He learns new languages and fighting skills in an instant. That was completely awesome.

If you have watched the TV series the Graphic Novel is an extension of that, it starts off where the show ends. For those who want to continue on with the characters, this was a fantastic way to do it, just as adventurous and great visuals as well.

Just an end note for those of you that do not know what Dollhouse is – the story or the television show. It’s about a company that uses young people to go on assignments. They hook the “vessel” up to a machine that downloads the software the girl needs to complete the mission into her brain. While she is on her mission she only knows what was downloaded into her, becoming a completely different person. When their missions are complete, they go back to the Dollhouse where they await their next mission and get the physical attention they need from the doctor for any damage that may have happened. They have no recollection of who they are or what happened during their assignments, they become an empty vessel until they are needed again.

Everyone dreams of getting the kiss of a lifetime – but what if that kiss carried some unexpected consequences for the soul? Three tales of supernatural love, each pivoting on a kiss that is no mere kiss, but an action with profound consequences for the kissers’ souls:

Goblin Fruit: In Victorian times, goblin men had only to offer young girls sumptuous fruits to tempt them to sell their souls. But what does it take to tempt today’s savvy girls?

Spicy Little Curses: A demon and the ambassador to He…moreThree tales of supernatural love speak about the deliciousness of wanting and waiting for that moment when lips touch.

Having come away with mixed feelings following Laini Taylor’s debut YA novel The Daughter of Smoke and Bone, I entered into this anthology with slight trepidation, despite glowing reviews, gorgeous illustrations and the presence of a fairy tale-style theme. However, I was very pleasantly surprised, and have come away with a greater appreciation of Taylor’s writing style and her unique handling of mythology.

All three short stories were compelling and beautifully crafted in their own right. The first and shortest tale, The Goblin Fruit, is of course based around Christina Rossetti’s famous poem The Goblin Market, and is a simple tale of temptation and desire. Despite being raised on family warnings against the danger of faerie folk, teenage loner Kizzy risks everything to chance a kiss with the new, handsome boy at school, who is suddenly paying her a great deal of attention.  This story captures effectively, within less than 40 pages, the distinct feeling of longing that dominates an isolated and awkward adolescence, and it’s notably dark ending is to be applauded.

In Spicey Little Curses Such as These, Taylor moves her focus from British to Indian folklore, incorporating the Hindu concept of heaven and hell into a tale of a beautiful young woman who grows up mute due to a curse forced upon her by a vindictive spirit. This was by far my favourite of the three tales, due in large part to the exotic Indian setting, the incorporation of diary entries, and the quite sweet and plaintive romance that featured.

The final and longest selection in the anthology is Hatchling, an amalgamation of the fae concept of a changeling child, and elements of the Zoroastrian faith. Esme discovers, just before her fourteenth birthday, that her mother may have been hiding vital secrets from her, and that her fate and past may somehow be linked to a mysterious race of fanged demons. This tale was in many ways the most graphic and mature of the trio, but Taylor remains suggestive as opposed to provocative, and the content makes for a much more poignant emotional journey for all of the characters.

What I enjoyed most about this collection, aside from Taylor’s often lyrical and poetic style, was the inclusion of moral grey areas for many of the characters. Rather than just sticking with the traditional notion of good vs. evil, as so many fairy tales do, presented here are people whose motives are not always clear-cut and whose loyalties can shift. This made for a much more credible portrayal of human nature, while still retaining the magical essence of a classic piece of folklore or mythology.

Also, it can’t be denied that the accompanying illustrations for each narrative, as crafted by Taylor’s husband, Jim Di Bartolo, are absolutely stunning, and compliment the tales brilliantly. These could potentially make amazing films!!

Lips Touch: Three Times – Laini Taylor

Scholastic Inc.

ISBN – 0545055857

266 pages

Released October 1st 2009

If you’ve spent any time on the fashion watch-dog blog Go Fug Yourself dot com, you may (or may not)  be aware of the co-creators of the website writing two YA books together.

** If you have no interest in fame and fashion you have my permission to stop reading now **

Spoiled starts the series off on an awkward spike stiletto heel. Molly Dix receives a death bed confession from her mother of the true identity of her paternal father. Brick (as in, thick-as-a) Berlin is a huge action movie star with a daughter to another woman. So when Brick offers to take Molly in, there isn’t much left for her to do but say yes.

Brooke, Brick’s other daughter, is on the brink of greatness and wants nobody to forget it. Having a half-sister turn up on her doorstep and suddenly not being the center of attention, throws Brooke into a tail spin.

You can only imagine what happens when the faux fur starts to fly.

Messy has been described as the half-sister to Spoiled. Brooke is running with her five seconds of fame and wants it to last a little longer. In her pursuit of stardom, she acquires the help of Max McCormack to be a ghost writer for a fabulous blog about the life and times of Brook Berlin.

Max and Brooke enter into a mutually beneficial agreement. Though, as the girls find out; all is not necessarily fair in love and war.

I would say that my favourite book of the two is Messy. There were moments in both books where I had to get out the tissues and dab away a tear or two, but the pretense and writing style were more believable in the second book in the series.

Of all the characters, I think Max has been given the most influential and interesting character arc. Without giving away too much she is a good friend and an excellent sister. I actually would love to have her sit with me at lunch so we could get snarky about things that make us cringe.

I dislike Brick Berlin as a character. I dislike him so much he almost had me flinging the books at the wall.

If there are to be more books by Heather and Jessica I really hope they keep the emotional depth of Messy mixed with the humor of Spoiled. I like to see the nasty people get their comeuppance, and I don’t mind a happy ending. If they can do it in Jimmy Choo Shoes then what they hey…

These books are not to be taken seriously. They are meant to be fun and carefree. If you go in knowing this you’ll probably be able to get through both in a short period of time and walk away feeling lighthearted. Go ahead and add them to your winter/summer holiday reading list.

http://gofugyourself.com/

http://heatherandjessica.wordpress.com/

Hardcover, 368 pages

Expected publication: June 5th 2012 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

ISBN 0316098299 (ISBN13: 9780316098298)

Welcome back to the beach – things are about to get even hotter.

Alice is still spending time with her sister on the pristine shores of “Soul Beach”, an online paradise for the young, beautiful and dead. But even paradise can become stifling and after Alice helped a young girl be set free, more and more of the “guests” are looking for her assistance.

If Alice can finally solve the mystery surrounding her sister’s murder than maybe Meggie too can be set free – but will that mean that Alice will lose her all over again? As if the drama on the beach wasn’t enough to deal with, the anniversary of Meggie’s death is fast approaching and it seems her killer has lined up yet another victim. Alice is sure she’s getting closer to uncovering the killer’s identity but the killer is getting closer to Alice too …

“Soul Fire” is the second stunning instalment in Harrison’s first YA trilogy and just as addictive and mind blowing as the first. This is the blend of mystery, paranormal and teen romance that will have readers of all ages utterly spellbound.

As every little piece of the puzzle is discovered, it seems four more turn up in its place and you will find yourself double guessing everyone right along with Alice. In this instalment,we spend more time in the real world and life on the beach takes more of a back seat. But that certainly doesn’t mean the malice and intrigue are any less. Harrison has done a brilliant job at hiding her perp in plain sight and as the cast of secondary characters expand you certainly won’t know who to trust or who to run from.

Not only has Alice matured in this instalment but so has the killer. He or she certainly seem to be getting more adept at completing their ghastly deeds without the authorities even realising, and even the reader starts to wonder just how delusional life on the beach may have made Alice.

“Soul Fire” has left me even more invested in the outcome of Alice and Meggie’s tale and it will be an excruciating wait to finally uncover just what really happened and the true secrets behind the beach.

This is a perfect, adrenalin filled ride and certainly a series to watch. Just make sure you read “Soul Beach” first for the full experience.  Harrison has handled a complex and emotional topic with sensitivity and given it her own fresh new spin. Life on the beach can certainly be addictive.

Soul Fire- Kate Harrison

Orion

399 Pages

ISBN: 9781780620237

Released: 10^th July 2012