Review : Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

 

Around the world, black handprints are appearing on doorways, scorched there by winged strangers who have crept through a slit in the sky.

In a dark and dusty shop, a devil's supply of human teeth grown dangerously low.

And in the tangled lanes of Prague, a young art student is about to be caught up in a brutal otherworldly war.

Meet Karou. She fills her sketchbooks with monsters that may or may not be real; she's prone to disappearing on mysterious "errands"; she speaks many languages--not all of them human; and her bright blue hair actually grows out of her head that color. Who is she? That is the question that haunts her, and she's about to find out.

When one of the strangers--beautiful, haunted Akiva--fixes his fire-colored eyes on her in an alley in Marrakesh, the result is blood and starlight, secrets unveiled, and a star-crossed love whose roots drink deep of a violent past. But will Karou live to regret learning the truth about herself?

First Line: 

Walking to school over the snow-muffled cobbles, Karou had no sinister premonitions about the day.

My Thoughts:

If I had to describe this book in a few words, this is what I'd say.

Enchanting. Bewitching. Spellbinding.

Daughter of Smoke and Bone is a beautiful, beautifully written novel. It is an utterly enchanting book. I've read a little more than a dozen novels about angels and forbidden love, but never anything like this. If you've read the synopsis and expected anything like anything you've ever read, then you're badly mistaken. I don't feel worthy of reviewing this book, saying anything about it - because to anyone who has read this - it will sound utterly bleak in comparison with the authors' writing style.

Laini Taylor's writing is beautifully poetic and so very, very vivid. This struck me especially when the author made a thorough description of a setting, and I could practically see things stand out at me. Colors and smells of the streets of Marakkesh. A battlefield after a fight. Emotions. People. While the authors' characters were almost always described as beautiful, ethereal beings, I couldn't bring myself to not like this - completely otherworldly, flawless characters and I still can't; because as everything else - it fit perfectly into the story. I never thought I'd say this about romance in a book, but it was as believable and real as every other thing in this amazing novel, and this is seeing the fact that he tries to slash her to bits.

There is not one thing about this book that I can say I didn't like. I loved Karou.I truly admire this fantastic female character that the author has created. She regrets nothing she does, and she's one of those female protagonists that are so rare these days - strong, a little skeptical, and not going falling head over heels for the other guy the minute she gets a look at him.

I loved the setting. Rather, I loved the huge multitude of settings in the book! That was the very first thing that made me love this book so much.Things never just happen in one place. And each place fit seamlessly into the story. Beautiful, snowy Prague. A brief glimpse of Paris with its street musicians. Morroco. And in the end, a tantalizing glimpse of the land of the chimaera - Eretz.

I'd written a similarly rambling review of Witchlanders yesterday, and now I can feel the stark difference between the two. They were both fresh, unique ideas. They had engaging story lines and great characters; but the difference is vast. There are books that drag you in headfirst into the novel, with a fast-paced storyline that barely lets you breathe. Now, if I had to make a comparison like that to Daughter of Smoke and Bone, I'd say its a book that slowly, subtly lulls you into the story and slowly but surely pulls you into its depths, and it stays long after you've turned the last page and put it aside. Sounds cliche, doesn't it? Yet, I had no idea how true it was until I finished this book.

Book Trailer for Daughter of Smoke and Bone :

Review : Bloodlines (Bloodlines #1) by Richelle Mead

When alchemist Sydney is ordered into hiding to protect the life of Moroi princess Jill Dragomir, the last place she expects to be sent is a human private school in Palm Springs, California. But at their new school, the drama is only just beginning.

Populated with new faces as well as familiar ones, Bloodlines explores all the friendship, romance, battles and betrayals that made the #1 New York Times bestselling Vampire Academy series so addictive - this time in a part-vampire, part-human setting where the stakes are even higher and everyone's out for blood.

My Thoughts:

Sydney Sage is a smart, sensible, if slightly self-deprecating protagonist that fit perfectly in this book. She is a young but brilliant mind and an Alchemist with a history of getting into trouble due to association with vampires, which is heavily frowned upon in Alchemist circles. And Adrian.The great Adrian Ivashkov. Sadly, I can't say he's his same ole self with uttering a huge lie.You don't even want me to get started on that guy at the moment. I'll save the rant for later.

Jill, the newly discovered Moroi princess is one of the important characters in this book, along with Eddie Castille, her dhampir guardian. I just wish that we saw a little more of Jill outside of her being slightly shy and aloof and Eddie in the "high paranoia" mode all the while, though it was rather funny.

I loved the pacing of the book. It started off pretty quickly, then got slower, and then quicker again and just as you think things have started calming, there's this huge plot bomb falling right out of nowhere at you. The number of fighting scenes in the book were less than in the VA series as Bloodlines emphasizes the doings of Alchemists and isn't focused on the dhampirs, but its paced fast enough that you don't notice the lack of action as opposed to her other books, which have a good number of them.

I have to admit Sydney's her sometimes utterly brilliant, sometimes utterly naive and oblivious persona was off-putting at times. And what is it with Adrian?? Yes, he's a hot, witty and charming character. Yes, he's also sarcastic, snarky, a smoker and an alcoholic. Oh, and he's suffering a heartbreak; but can we please keep the formerly mentioned characteristics at a higher level than the latter unfavorable characteristics? I was ecstatic to know Adrian would be one of the more important characters in this book, but the Adrian of Bloodlines seemed like an entirely different character from Adrian of VA, apart from the occasional witty quip.

One of my biggest disappointments with the book was that about three-fourths throughout the book I could guess who was so obviously behind all of it. Once I had that idea in my head, all the supposedly cryptic clues that hinted toward the instigator's identity turned out to be blatantly obvious. Seriously, it's just staring you in the face by the latter half of  the book.

This was generally a good read.  Nope, it wasn't flawless and I did have a good number of 'duh' moments. Despite all this, I liked the book. It kept me on the edge of the seat for a good part of the book (until I figured out the point of it all) and  I had no problem connecting with the characters. And the last line! Phew. What a cliffhanger! As usual, Richelle Mead leaves little to be desired.

The Golden Lily (Bloodlines #2) by Richelle Mead

 

The sequel, The Golden Lily is set to be published in June the following year.I positively adore the cover to the sequel. It's so pretty! Love the golden tones!

Tough, brainy alchemist Sydney Sage and doe-eyed Moroi princess Jill Dragomir are in hiding at a human boarding school in the sunny, glamorous world of Palm Springs, California. The students—children of the wealthy and powerful—carry on with their lives in blissful ignorance, while Sydney, Jill, Eddie and Adrian must do everything in their power to keep their secret safe. But with forbidden romances, unexpected spirit bonds, and the threat of Strigoi moving ever closer, hiding the truth is harder than anyone thought.

Review : Blood Song (Lharmell #1) by Rhiannon Hart

When her sister becomes betrothed to a prince in a northern nation, Zeraphina’s only consolations are that her loyal animal companions are by her side – and that her burning hunger to travel north is finally being sated.

Already her black hair and pale eyes mark her out as different, but now Zeraphina must be even more careful to keep her secret safe. Craving blood is not considered normal behaviour for anyone, let alone a princess. So when the king’s advisor, Rodden, seems to know more about her condition than she does, Zeraphina is determined to find out more.

Zeraphina must be willing to sacrifice everything if she’s to uncover the truth – but what if the truth is beyond her worst nightmares?

First Line:

I was thinking of blood again so I went to practice my archery.

Zeraphina is the princess of Amentia, younger daughter of Queen Renata. When her sister is betrothed to a prince of a prosperous nation in the North, she is ecstatic. Her yearning to go North, to be finally able to discover why something from there calls to her so deeply is finally being fulfilled. To be able to find out about the disease she contracted that changed her appearance. To know more about the unspoken lands of Lharmell.

My Thoughts : 

I'll admit that the premise of the book sounded rather intriguing. I can't resist a book set in a different realm or universe and the cover, the blurb all hinted towards a dark, mystic storyline, yet another thing I can't resist. Also, I loved the new names. Lharmell. Zeraphina. Again, very very mysterious. 

I got into the book pretty quickly. The first few chapters were probably the best in the whole book. The eerie phantom in her room, the North calling to her, a  promise of something dark to come - it was all there. There's little that I want in a book if all those aspects are present; but soon, it just wasn't enough. 

Zeraphina went North, spent a good amount of time in the palace there, yet discovered nothing. It wasn't as if she wasn't looking for information, nope. Rather, it's quite strongly strongly portrayed that she's quite desperately looking for something that will lead her to answers. Yet, her search seems entirely futile. I couldn't see a pattern or basis for her searches and her instant dislike of Rodden -  who seemed like nothing more than a somewhat-creepy, not too friendly guy -  threw me off.  I felt like there was something lacking or there was some part if the story that I was entirely missing. I couldn't figure out reasons behind Zeraphina's thoughts, why she was so fixated on the feeling that Rodden had something to hide.

I don't know what exactly to make of this book. Yes, I liked the it. The writing was excellent and the world was entirely different, curious concept. The idea was excellent. The creatures aren't anything like you would have read before. All in all, it has all the makings for a wonderful, enthralling read. There first couple of chapters drew me in and held me there. It was intriguing. It was compelling. And then slowly, things seemed to deflate. I just couldn't figure things out. A t the end,(which, by the way, seemed really abrupt and a huge torrent of information that should've probably been explained in bits throughout the book), I couldn't make out what had happened. Uh, I should stop saying that.

Maybe it was all me, and I wasn't reading closely enough to see something that was probably staring me right in the face, which would've been a very  "me" thing to do. My thoughts about this book are rather conflicted, but all things considered, it was a good read.

   

About The Author:

Rhiannon Hart

Rhiannon Hart remembers writing before she could read, puzzling over the strange squiggles in Jeremiah and the Dark Woods by Janet and Alan Ahlberg and putting her own words in their places. Her first love was Jareth the Goblin King at the tender age of eight. She wrote fan fiction in high school but she'd never admit to it out loud, so don't ask. When she's not reading or writing she is belly dancing, chasing after other people's cats, or putting the pedal to the floor at her sewing machine. She grew up in north-western Australia and currently resides in Melbourne, where she works in marketing. Rhiannon has been published in the Australian Book Review, Magpies and Viewpoint and blogs at http://rhiannon-hart.blogspot.com/. She is currently writing further books in the LHARMELL series.

  

Review : Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

  

Anna is looking forward to her senior year in Atlanta, where she has a great job, a loyal best friend, and a crush on the verge of becoming more. Which is why she is less than thrilled about being shipped off to boarding school in Paris - until she meets Etienne St. Clair: perfect, Parisian (and English and American, which makes for a swoon-worthy accent), and utterly irresistible. The only problem is that he's taken, and Anna might be, too, if anything comes of her almost-relationship back home.

As winter melts into spring, will a year of romantic near - misses end with the French kiss Anna - and readers - have long awaited?

First Line:

Here is everything I know about France: Madeline and Amelie and Moulin Rouge.The Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triomphe, although I have no idea what the function of either actually is.

My Thoughts:

To those who know me well, this would seem very, very skeptical. Me, reading a YA contemporary-romance novel? Highly unlikely. And that's a huge understatement. Romance is not a genre I'm particularly fond of and the only reason I can read most YA novels of the day - with all these multiple love interests and triangles -  is because it isn't solely focused on the romance. I like a good dose of humor and/or a witty or sarcastic protagonist in the books I read and I can't stand the fluff overpowering the actual story.

Anna and the French Kiss  by Stephanie Perkins has got loads of positive, highly recommended reviews and after a good amount of glowing references, I decided I'd give it a go and boy, am I happy I did.  I loved this book. One page into the book and I was hooked.

Anna is a great character- fun, witty and yet not without her own flaws. She was a simple, funny, completely natural character and very easy to connect with. Etienne St. Clair - the American with the British accent! -  the other main character  was as awesome a character as Anna and just as funny. For one, he's not the standard "tall, dark and handsome" that comes with every novels these days (being no taller than Anna). He's a surprisingly sweet character for a male, and that's in a good way! Stephanie Perkins has done an awesome job writing these two characters. 

The other characters in this book of importance are St. Clair's friends at the SOAP and are all great, wonderful characters and are seamlessly fit into the story. Her camaraderie with St.Clair and the rest of her friends at The School of America was really well pictured and I found myself laughing out loud more often than not at their antics.Of course, it wasn't all smooth sailing - they had their disputes and the usual dose of teenage angst and frustration, but again, it was just right.

What annoyed me the most about this book was Etienne and Anna clinging desperately to their current lives, exactly as it was, unwilling to accept that things had changed and that they had face it and to move on already. And why, oh why, do YA novels have to have a perfect-beautiful-mean-yet-a-pain-in-the-ass blond girl who has to be utterly in luuurve with our hero and has to have a name like Amanda or Tiffany or Chelsea? That said, I was really glad about the fact that St. Clair doesn't utterly ignore Amanda annoying Anna all the time, as most male characters tend to do and actually retaliates and annoys her in turn, though obviously not in such a catty way.

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins is the perfect, one-sit read for a somebody looking for a laugh-out-loud cozy afternoon read. 

 

Review : Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini

 

Helen Hamilton has spent her entire sixteen years trying to hide how different she is—no easy task on an island as small and sheltered as Nantucket. And it's getting harder. Nightmares of a desperate desert journey have Helen waking parched, only to find her sheets damaged by dirt and dust. At school she's haunted by hallucinations of three women weeping tears of blood . . . and when Helen first crosses paths with Lucas Delos, she has no way of knowing they're destined to play the leading roles in a tragedy the Fates insist on repeating throughout history. 

As Helen unlocks the secrets of her ancestry, she realizes that some myths are more than just legend. But even demigod powers might not be enough to defy the forces that are both drawing her and Lucas together—and trying to tear them apart.

First Line:

“But if you bought me a car now, it would be yours when I go away to school in two years.”

My Thoughts:

Hmm, where to start? Firstly, before I start rambling about the awesomeness of the book, I'll do some rambling about the cover.

Am I the only one who goes all dreamy-eyed when they see this cover? I'm horribly partial to book covers. It's the first thing I look for in a book and this cover is gorgeous. Absolutely gorgeous. The backdrop of the sea, the partly seen girl, the amazing blend of colors - all hint to an impending storm and gives an almost ethereal feel to everything. I love it.

The book was a good read and each page I turned, the story just got more interesting. The characters are fun and easy to connect with and I loved every sibling the Delos family. Even though I liked every other character in the book, I just can't say the same about Helen and Lucas. The two main characters. Thankfully, there is enough involvement of the rest of the characters that I didn't give up on the book.

About half-way through the book, Helen seemed to get whinier and whinier, not to mention that she had a guard posted near her window every night (very Twilight-esque, by the way). And this is despite the fact that she was supposedly stronger than any other Scion before her, which isn't proved until very late in the book. I actually enjoyed listening to Helen in the beginning of the book, even with all the homicidal intentions.

Oh, did I mention Lucas' awesome cousin Hector somewhere in there? People, he's great. Even if he played an utter jerk in the beginning, he's an awesomely created character.

Even if I love the cover and the book would make an enjoyable read,  I'd rate this around 3.5 or 4 stars 'cause of the characters, the setting and of course, the fresh storyline.

Review : Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side

 Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side:

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Marrying a vampire definitely doesn’t fit into Jessica Packwood’s senior year “get-a-life” plan. But then a bizarre (and incredibly hot) new exchange student named Lucius Vladescu shows up, claiming that Jessica is a Romanian vampire princess by birth—and he’s her long-lost fiancé. Armed with newfound confidence and a copy of Growing Up Undead: A Teen Vampire’s Guide to Dating, Health, and Emotions, Jessica makes a dramatic transition from average American teenager to glam European vampire princess. But when a devious cheerleader sets her sights on Lucius, Jess finds herself fighting to win back her wayward prince, stop a global vampire war—and save Lucius’s soul from eternal destruction. 

First Line : 

The first time I saw him, a heavy, gray fog clung to the cornfields, tails of mist slithering between the dying stalks. 

Jessica Packwood or rather, Antanasia Dragomir gets the biggest surprise of her life when the new kid in town lands up in her house making the most absurd proclamations. He claims to be her fiance and also assumes that she is an heir to the 'vampire throne', sent away to the United States for her protection. Imagine that.

I had no trouble getting into the book. From the very first line, it dragged me headlong into what looked one hell of a ride. The first half, or maybe first one-third of this book, I couldn't stop myself from cracking up every time Lucius opened his mouth to speak. Who knew supercilious Romanian princes could be so wittily sarcastic and so, so amusing? And that was an awesome opening line of his, with all the "You know a writing instrument, yes?" in that patronizing voice I could practically hear.

And then, as I was berating myself for taking over a year to pick this awesome book up just because it had such a cheesy name, it all started going downhill. I quickly tired of the heroine, not being able to connect with her and relate to her actions, but Luc turned out to be as bad. Our Prince Mocking turned to Prince Brooding and what started off as an amusing, engaging read faded into standard high school drama material. Why should there always be annoying blonde cheerleaders and mean jocks in every book in high school?
 
This is somewhere between 2 and 3 stars, probably a 2.5. If I'd to rate this book just on the basis of the first half of the book I'd give it 5 stars! I wish I could give it more just because of the great beginning but the rest was just plain horrible. Okay, it wasn't that bad, but all the teenage drama annoys me bad. Yet, I'm sure when the next book releases I'll be clamoring with the rest of them for a copy. Wish I had a stronger resolve when it came to buying sequels.

There's yet another disappointing book added to the list that's been growing a lot longer this year. Or I've finally given up on vampires.             

The second installment in the series, Jessica Rules The Dark Side, is coming out in January 2012. My common sense tells me I probably should stay away from it but I'd probably end up reading it anyway, unable to stand the fact that there's a book full of Luc's sarcastic comments and wry humor sitting out there without me reading it. 

 It’s one thing to find out you’re a vampire princess. It’s a whole other thing to actually rule. Newly married Jessica Packwood is having a hard enough time feeling regal with her husband, Lucius, at her side. But when evidence in the murder of a powerful elder points to Lucius, sending him into solitary confinement, Jessica is suddenly on her own. Determined to clear her husband’s name, Jessica launches into a full-scale investigation, but hallucinations and nightmares of betrayal keep getting in her way. Jessica knows that with no blood to drink, Lucius’s time is running out. Can she figure out who the real killer is—and whom she can trust—before it’s too late?

Review : The Wise Man's Fear by Patrick Rothfuss

The Wise Man's Fear by Patrick Rothfuss

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Day Two: The Wise Man's Fear.

"There are three things all wise men fear: the sea in storm, a night with no moon, and the anger of a gentle man."

An escalating rivalry with a powerful member of the nobility forces Kvothe to leave the University and seek his fortune abroad. Adrift, penniless, and alone, he travels to Vintas, where he quickly becomes entangled in the politics of courtly society. While attempting to curry favor with a powerful noble, Kvothe discovers an assassination attempt, comes into conflict with a rival arcanist, and leads a group of mercenaries into the wild, in an attempt to solve the mystery of who (or what) is waylaying travelers on the King's road.

All the while, Kvothe searches for answers, attempting to uncover the truth about the mysterious Amyr, the Chandrian, and the death of his parents. Along the way, Kvothe is put on trial by the legendary Adem mercenaries, forced to reclaim the honor of the Edema Ruh, and travels into the Fae realm. There he meets Felurian, the faerie woman no man can resist, and who no man has ever survived. Under her tutelage, Kvothe learns much about true magic and the ways of women.

In The Wise Man's Fear Kvothe takes his first steps on the path of the hero and learns how difficult life can be when a man becomes a legend in his own time.

 The Wise Man's Fear was an epic of a novel, a whopping near-thousand pages. It is the sequel to The Name of the Wind, released in 2007.

The beginning finds Kvothe (assumed name Kote) in his role as the innkeeper at the Waystone Inn. He continues narrating his life (to Chronicler and Bast) at the University, where he is starting with the second term. Only the first quarter of the book focuses on his time at the University.

At the beginning of the term, Kvothe is drugged with an alchemical substance during the admissions lottery which induces him to do stupid and impulsive things and causes his anger to flare at the slightest provocation. Armed with a recommendation from Thrope, he sets off to Vintas to seek patronage under Maer Alveron.

This books was immense in length and detail but it has a lot of positive aspects to it. It fills up the map, adding more places and generally giving a wider view of Rothfuss' world. His ideas are original and refreshing after the slew of vamps and weres in current YA. His writing is as captivatingly poetic as ever and within minutes, I was hooked.

There is a lot of interaction between previously ignored people in the University, (like Fela, Devi and Manet) and makes it a lot easier to connect with individual characters and understand their motive and reasoning. Fela and Devi are active players in the escapades of our three miscreants. I liked the fact that there was emphasis on a female character other than Denna, who keeps up with her random disappearing acts in the book.

Yet, by the end of the book, Kvothe is no wiser to the identities of the Chandrian and the Amyr, despite the fact that he spends a large part of the book researching them in the Stacks and in Vintas, and endlessly quizzing everyone he knows about their existense. The only thing he does learn about them is in the form of a short poem describing each of them.

Also, Kvothe's time with Felurian in her realm was a tad unclear. I felt like it had just blurred past with him lounging around and alternating between either him or Felurian in a moody temperament. Or that might just be my dislike of Felurian acting up.

On the whole, The Wise Man's Fear was a wonderful if exhaustingly long read, with an ominous undertone that will have you wondering what will come to pass in the sequel. I'm drumming my fingers now, hoping I won't be waiting 5 years for the next book....

 

Review : The Case of the Perjured Parrot by Erle Stanley Gardner

The Case of the Perjured Parrot by Erle Stanley Gardner

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Did the wealthy Fremont C. Sabin divorce his wife before his untimely death? That's the multimillion-dollar question. And the right answer will mean a windfall for either the dead man's angry son or headstrong widow. Each has accused the other of destroying Sabin's will—and murdering Sabin. But with no document declaring who the affable eccentric intended to leave his fortune to, Perry Mason faces a particularly prickly puzzle.
Even more puzzling, however, is the talking parrot. Casanova was Fremont Sabin's beloved pet. But the bird found at the crime scene proves to be a foul-mouthed impostor. Suffice it to say that more than a few feathers will be ruffled as Mason sets out to clip a clever killer's wings. . . . 

 The Case of the Perjured Parrot is another quintessential Perry Mason murder mystery. Erle Stanley Gardner, in his inimitable style keeps the narrative zingy and the suspense intriguing. He takes us to mid 20th century America, giving us a glimpse of life in a modern city co-existing with that of the countryside.

In the Case of the Perjured Parrot, an eccentric millionaire was found dead in a mountain cabin - shot in the chest and his parrot Casanova loose from its cage. The story revolves around his widow and his son’s battle over his assets with Mason and detective Paul Drake looking into the man’s curious dealings. As the parrot in the cabin is discovered to be fake, a foul-mouthed imposter planted by the murderer, the real Casanova is found in the house of one Helen Monteith, repeatedly squawking the words, “Put down the gun, Helen! Don’t shoot me! My God, you’ve shot me!” The parrot’s incriminating words do nothing to diffuse the situation as Sabin’s wife also shares the name Helen – Helen Watkins Sabin. Helen Monteith claims to have been oblivious to the Sabin’s real identity, knowing him only as George Wallman - a poor, simple and generous man whom she married. Wallman had given her the parrot Casanova for safekeeping.

As the book progresses, subtly woven plots are unraveled and the evidence against Helen Monteith grows. The gun with which Sabin was shot is discovered to have been from a collection in the Santa Molinas Public Library - the library in which Monteith works. Ms. Monteith is arrested shortly after and charged with first degree-murder when caught red-handed trying to dispose off shells of the gun and a beheaded parrot in her apartment. The parrot is later revealed to be a substitute; a switch made by wily Perry Mason, suspecting that the murderer would try to kill the parrot, given the chance, either to truly silence it or to pile more evidence against Helen Monteith or Helen Sabin.

More astonishing facts are uncovered and  the plot gets increasingly challenging while Perry Mason seems to be the one man who remains unruffled to an extent, calm and collected, carefully planning his moves while the police, lead by the Sergeant Holcomb of the Homicide Dept., races to stay one step ahead of the clever attorney. It becomes quite evident that the police try to fit circumstantial evidence to their theories and views on the murder and are left stumped when they get one-upped by Mason with Holcomb fuming in the face of Mason’s cheerful geniality.

While it has the imagery of a complex plot, one wonders at the simplicity of the solution as it unfolds in the climax. Of course, if you are looking forward to the razor-sharp courtroom exchanges, there is some of that too.

To me, it’s a disappointing fact that so few people read Gardner’s books. The law aspect of the novels seems to usually drive off people, but it is that very thing that makes the books so unique. The characters are original and amazing, and the dialogue is witty, if with more than a few typos.