The Narrowing Path by David J Normoyle

The Narrowing Path (Goodreads)

I found this gem of a book on Netgalley and was struck by the cover: definitely intriguing. The blurb clinched the deal, luring me in . . .

Only the strongest, smartest and most ruthless will survive.

Every six years, the world draws nearer to the sun. In Arcandis, those who want to live must claim the limited places in the Refuge, a series of underground caverns cooled by the sea.

The teenage boys of noble birth are sent out into the city to demonstrate their wits and strength. Some prove themselves in combat, others display their empire building skills, still others attempt to kill off their rivals. Out of over a hundred, only six will be selected by the leaders of the great families and allowed a place in the Refuge. The rest will perish, one way or another.

Not only is thirteen-year-old Bowe younger and weaker than most of the other boys, he has no family to support him. He is expected to die on the very first day of the narrowing path. Instead he begins a journey no one could have anticipated.

Unable to resist The Hunger Games feel of it, I immediately requested it and am delighted to say that it delivered on all its promises. I started reading in the evening and found myself still awake at three in the morning when I turned the last page on my Kindle. I was so impressed that I filed it into it's own category under the author's name. I only ever do that if I intend reading more of an author's work. The rest of the books get shoved into a genre category.

Okay . . . so what made it so good?

The book is definitely dystopian (thoroughly brutal in fact) but it has a high fantasy setting! Anyone familiar with my blog will know that fantasy and sci-fi are my first loves. That said, one of my reading delights this year has been the discovery of some great cross-over books that mash different genres together - like this one - making for a fascinating read. As far as I can see, it's mainly indie-authors who are daring to write like this, and David J Normoyle has done it very well in The Narrowing Path.

The plot kicks off without too much backstory or preamble and we are in the world of Arcandis, following the fortunes - and misfortunes - of Bowe Bellanger, our young hero. I was instantly sucked in even though the first few pages bombarded me with names and titles and quite complicated aspects of Arcandis life. I admit, it could be an overwhelming beginning, but I was so intrigued by the action that I barreled through it and was hooked. 

Bowe Bellanger is a delightfully flawed hero with a giant-sized heart. He captured my sympathy instantly and although sometimes he made some really stupid decisions as he battled to stay alive on the 'path', I was rooting for him all the way through. Be warned though, this book is not for the faint-hearted: deaths - gruesome ones - occur every few pages. In that aspect it makes The Hunger Games look like a church picnic. 

Bowe also has some strange ideas about girls. But given his background and age, I found it quite acceptable. He is the perfect gentleman to the high class damsel in distress, but cannot cope with the tough, kick-butte peasant girl (whom he secretly fancies) who helped save his life a few times. I suspect this is going to be an area explored by Normoyle in subsequent books and I imagine young Bowe is going to learn some short, sharp lessons about dealing with women. I can't wait to read about them.

From that, you can guess that I will be reading the next two books in the series: The Treacherous Path and The Collapsing Path. You can bet on it.

So how many stars for The Narrowing Path? A solid four star read!

I will be doing an interview with David Normoyle on Wednesday when I will be giving away a couple of his books. It will be well worth stopping by for a chance to win.

Cheers

Gwynn

A brilliant ending to an amazing series: Shades of Earth by Beth Revis

Shades Of Earth (Goodreads)

For pure originality, depth of characters and imaginative world-building you cannot beat the 

Across The Universe series. (Goodreads) 

In this, the final book in the series, Amy and Elder and fifteen hundred of the Godspeed residents land on their new home, planet Centauri-Earth. Unfortunately, they quickly discover that the planet is far from welcoming. Hostile is how I would describe it. The stories they had been told before leaving the Godspeed about 'monsters' are real. They are being picked off like flies, with someone dying - often brutally - every day. But before Elder can even establish his leadership, Amy immediately sets about unfreezing her parents and the other military personnel and scientists. This brings instant conflict. So instead of working together, the Earthborn and Shipborn fight each other instead of their common enemies - the aliens who already inhabit the planet.

So what did I think of Shades of Earth? 

I admit it took me a while to get into. But that was for a very simple reason: Amy made some early decisions that made me really cross. (I tend to get very invested in books I love) But in hindsight, if she hadn't been so selfish and stupid I suppose we wouldn't have had such a thrilling read. So I guess I forgive her. Elder did, so how can I be so hardhearted?

The pace is fast, the tension high, and the characters hopped off the page. 

Beth Revis needs a round of applause for her world-building. 

As she says in the acknowledgement section of the book: 

"the problem with discovering a whole new world is that it could be anything, and without the guidance of Ben Schrank and Gillian Levison, Centuri-Earth would be nothing but a pale imitation of what it is now. They made me dig into the sandy soil and uncover what lay beneath the surface of the planet; they tilted my head to the skies so I could see the pteros flying there, and they led me to the poisoned heart of the world and helped me to discover a way to cure it."

And what a thrilling ride that journey was.

 Once over my fit of pique with Amy, I sucked Shades of Earth up like I was there.  I felt every bit of tension, every pain, every loss (and trust me, people die in this book. There are no sacred cows. If a character needed to die to move the plot along, then . . . off with their heads)

The book definitely showed us the seamy side of human nature. Greed. Prejudice. Fear. Beth Revis asks us to decide what really makes a person a human being. Very thought-provoking.

The Heroes?

For me, the real hero of this story is Elder. He became a man in this book, a leader anyone would be proud to follow. Amy? She got off to a slow start, but by the end she had found her place in the world and became a person of real substance. I salute what she made of herself, despite the horrendous challenges she was put through.

The Love?

The romance was there, but it definitely took a back seat to the action. And that suited me fine. A love triangle threatened, and for a moment I thought Amy was going to do something really unforgivable, but her love for Elder held true to the end. I was very pleased about that. I think I would have coughed up a pteros egg if a love triangle had developed.

Stars?

Five gleaming galaxies. 

Other series Across the Universe competes with

If you love the Under the Never Sky series (my reviews here and here), then you will enjoy this too. Other brilliant series which also run neck to neck with Across The Universe are: Daughter of Smoke and Bone (My reviews here and here) and The Grisha. That gives you an idea of how amazing these books are.

Have you read the series? If so leave a comment, I'd love to hear your thoughts.

cheers

Gwynn
P.S.  In case you're wondering, I own two copies of this book: The Kindle version and the paperback. I bought both. Why the paperback? I had to complete my paper collection. I love looking at the covers!

Perception by Lee Strauss PLUS Author's Interview PLUS Giveaway.

Perception (Goodreads) 

Downloaded from Netgalley. 

Thanks to the publisher for giving me the opportunity to review this one.

 

Wow! What a ride!

This Sci-Fi set in future America has it all: 

Genetic manipulation. Cyborgs. Cloning. Action. Suspense. Mystery. You name it, it's here. 

Love, too. 

My stomach fluttered at the very sweet, but forbidden romance between the two main characters, Zoe and Noah. 

Seventeen-year-old Zoe is a GAP - a beautiful, long-lived, Genetically Altered Person.  

She lives with her rather odd parents and her bother Liam (whom she adores) in magnificent home in a walled city reserved for GAPs outside Los Angeles. Hers is a charmed life filled with luxury and ease. She couldn't be happier. That is until Liam disappears under mysterious circumstances. 

When the authorities - including her parents - refuse to help her trace him, she leaves the safety of her world and heads for the 'Outside' - Los Angeles - to find her own answers. Her trail leads her to Noah. 

Noah's an ordinary guy - a natural - who has every reason in the world to despise GAPs.

Noah's mother works as a servant in Zoe's home, but ill health (something a GAP hardly ever experiences) means that Noah sometimes comes in to do her job, cleaning up after Zoe and her family. He and his mother are treated with ill-concealed contempt by Zoe's parents.

I liked Noah a lot, but I do have a minor gripe about him: his name. Poor guy. Noah is definitely flavour of the month for many YA authors. It really is time they dipped back into the baby name book for some original ideas. Even though it was obvious Lee Strauss was looking for Biblical name for him, she could really have something less hackneyed. Noah deserved something better. And in fact I could say the same about Zoe. Her name is almost a YA fixture. Okay, whinge over . . . back to Perception.  

When Noah isn't helping his mum keep her job, he's an activist fighting against all genetic engineering. He therefore has little reason to help Zoe find Liam - especially when it comes to light that Liam's working on a radical genetic engineering project. Still, the price Zoe offers to pay is right, so he agrees. Don't think Noah's mercenary. He isn't. In fact, he doesn't have a bad bone in his body. That is what makes him so likeable. And once the love took over, he repeatedly risked his life for nary a dime. I was really rooting for him.

But as he and Zoe follow the trail of clues left by Liam, their worlds are turned upside down. 

Very soon Noah finds himself on the run, hunted by powerful, ruthless men who will stop at nothing to silence him forever. Forbidden by her parents to see Noah, Zoe is forced to undergo a 'fix' (can't tell you what, you'll have to read the book to find out) which her family hope will stop her rebellious truth seeking. 

This 'fix' leaves Noah seriously conflicted. Torn between his love for Zoe and the need to be a law-abiding citizen, he makes a moral choice, leading to an exciting - heart-stopping, in fact - twist at the end of the book.

I was really impressed by Perception. 

The writing is lovely. Fast paced, but at the same time descriptive enough without being weighed down with pages and pages of gush. I also liked that it is divided into two parts - the first section is seen through Zoe's eyes. Part two is narrated by Noah, and that adds an interesting depth to the story.

How many stars? 

Definitely four.  So if you love a good Sci-Fi romance, this one won't disappoint.

Will I read the sequel? 
You bet, I will. 

 Volition is already available (Goodreads)

Now I have something special for us all . . . 

Welcome to Lee Strauss, so glad to have you on my blog today. I asked Lee some questions which she kindly answered below:

Tell us a little about yourself. What do you do when you're not writing?

I’m married with four grown children and live part time in British Columbia, Canada and part time in Germany. When I’m not writing, I read, hike, do yoga, and hang out with friends and family.

Lee Strauss is a pen name. Can you tell us how that came about?

After I’d completed the Clockwise Series books and Seaweed, I realized that I had created a brand with my name Elle Strauss. The readers of those books expect something geared to the younger YA crowd, in the G – PG rating. I knew I’d be adding to that brand with my Love, Tink Series and when I decided to write and publish books geared toward an older crowd, I didn’t feel right labeling them with the Elle Strauss name. That’s when I decided to use Lee Strauss for anything I would give a PG13 rating or higher. I don’t try to keep it a secret that both names are me, and I list Elle Strauss as the author of my Lee Strauss books, too, just so my readers can find me. But I want to make sure they know what kind of book they’re buying.

What is your favorite scene or quote (spoiler-free)?

In PERCEPTION, I like the scene on the bus, where it’s too crowded for them to sit and they’re pressed close together, standing. They’re falling in love but both resisting it so hard! J

Is there a special message in your novel you want to communicate to your readers?

The theme in PERCEPTION is in the title. How we easily misjudge people, mistrust them because they’re different from us, or we’re raised to dislike them. Our perception of people and situations are often wrong or misguided. Noah and Zoe’s perceptions of each other and the world they live in change radically as the book progresses.

How do your characters communicate with you?

So much discovery happens in the writing. Not only plot but character development. I go in thinking of a character in a certain way and by the end of the rough draft, he or she is almost always different that what I thought going in. So I guess they talk to me as the story unfolds.

How did your characters tell you their names?

I chose Noah and Zoe as names for the main characters because one of the themes in PERCEPTION is the desire and pursuit of longer/eternal life. Zoe is Greek for the word life, and Noah is the character in the bible whose life span was shortened by God to 120 years.

(So that explains my whine about Zoe and Noah's name :-) )

Did your characters teach you anything when writing their story? If so, what was it?

I don’t know if they taught me any, so much as they reminded me of things. Like don’t take life for granted; live each day, don’t just let it tick by; always tell the people I love, that I love them; anyone can change, for better or worse, but we have the choice and we can be better if we want to.

Do you have any advice for other aspiring writers?

At the risk of sounding cliché, read a lot, write a lot, study your craft, take risks, do new things.

Who is your favorite book boyfriend?

My favorite book boyfriend is usually the hero of whatever book I’m reading. I just finished FLAT OUT LOVE by Jessica Park, and so I’m going to say….Finn. J

Where can your readers befriend you? Blog? Facebook? Twitter? Goodreads? Links, please.

www.ellestraussbooks.com

@elle_strauss

https://www.facebook.com/AuthorLeeStrauss

https://www.facebook.com/ElleStraussAuthor

http://www.goodreads.com/search?utf8=%E2%9C%93&query=elle+strauss

http://www.goodreads.com/search?utf8=%E2%9C%93&query=lee+strauss

Sign up for my newsletter!

I only send emails to announce a new release or promotion. No spam – I promise. J

You can find links to Perception here:

Amazon

Kobo

Barnes & Noble

itunes

GIVEAWAY TIME!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway  

Thanks to Elle for the EBook copies of Perception.

Cheers
Gwynn

Ender's World edited by Orson Scott Card

Have you ever heard the rather disparaging English (as in UK) phrase 'to be an Anorak'? 

No.

I didn't think so, seeing as most of my readers come from the USA and Russia. So let me explain:

An anorak is a person - usually male - who, while dressed in an anorak to protect him from the foul English weather, spends all his spare time sitting at the end of the runway at his local airport watching and noting - in painstaking detail - the comings and goings of all the airplanes. He then tells his friends (those who still have friends) about his finds, quoting registration numbers, engine types and each flight's punctuality. A thoroughly anal activity. 

I share this with you because I'm an Ender's Game Anorak. (Review here)

I have to be. I mean who else would have squealed with delight on seeing a book with the word Ender in the title on Netgalley? And then, without bothering to read what it was about pounced on the mouse, clicked the request button, said a quick prayer that I'd be approved, all in less time than it takes most people to sneeze. At that point I started reaching for my Anorak.

But the final confirmation of my Anorak status came when I downloaded the ARC of Ender's World (Amazon) onto my Kindle. It was only then that I discovered to my absolute delight that it's actually a book of essays about Ender and his world written by . . .  yes, you guessed it! Other Ender Anoraks!

How fantastic is that! A whole book devoted to reading about how amazing Ender Wiggin is, what a natural born leader he is, how he fits into the Jungian hero mold, all the while being the classic Hero With A Thousand Faces. There is even a chapter extolling the value of him being short! Did you know most successful people are below average height? I didn't either.

Finally, if that wasn't enough magic, there are also pages and pages devoted to genuine Q&A with Orson Scott Card. For an Anorka, what could be more amazing than getting into OSC's mind, seeing his motivations and the depth of his knowledge of his Enderverse?

Enderverse - I love that word!

And you know what else, if that had been all this book was about, I would have been a very satisfied reader.

But there was more. A lot more. As a writer, I learned so much as the contributing authors - bestsellers in their own rights like Neal Shusterman, Janis Ian and Aaron Johnston - dissected Ender's Game, exposing the nuances of OSC writing. For me, this was a real bonus. If you're a writer - even if you don't write Sci-Fi - it will be well worthwhile reading this book, because you will come away with a new set of insights into our art.

So how many stars? 

Definitely four! I loved it and am grateful to the publisher for giving me the ARC to review. So to my fellow Anoraks out there, Ender's World is not to be missed.

cheers
Gwynn

Books vs Movies: Ender's Game Trailer

There are a lot of great book movies coming out this year, but the one I'm most excited for is Ender's Game. For those who don't know this brilliant book, here's the blub from Goodreads:

In order to develop a secure defense against a hostile alien race's next attack, government agencies breed child geniuses and train them as soldiers. A brilliant young boy, Andrew "Ender" Wiggin lives with his kind but distant parents, his sadistic brother Peter, and the person he loves more than anyone else, his sister Valentine. Peter and Valentine were candidates for the soldier-training program but didn't make the cut—young Ender is the Wiggin drafted to the orbiting Battle School for rigorous military training.

Ender's skills make him a leader in school and respected in the Battle Room, where children play at mock battles in zero gravity. Yet growing up in an artificial community of young soldiers Ender suffers greatly from isolation, rivalry from his peers, pressure from the adult teachers, and an unsettling fear of the alien invaders. His psychological battles include loneliness, fear that he is becoming like the cruel brother he remembers, and fanning the flames of devotion to his beloved sister.

Is Ender the general Earth needs? But Ender is not the only result of the genetic experiments. The war with the Buggers has been raging for a hundred years, and the quest for the perfect general has been underway for almost as long. Ender's two older siblings are every bit as unusual as he is, but in very different ways. Between the three of them lie the abilities to remake a world. If, that is, the world survives. Ender's Game is the winner of the 1985 Nebula Award for Best Novel and the 1986 Hugo Award for Best Novel.

My thoughts . . . 

In my view, Ender's Game is one of the best coming-of-age book in all of Young Adult lit. Hefty praise as most books in the Young Adult genre explore the challenges and pitfalls of transitioning from child to adult.

Ender is six when he's drafted into Battle School and twelve when the book ends. By the end of that ride, Ender is no longer a child (if he ever was). He has proved himself a leader with compassion, wisdom and an unfailing ability to win. I love this quote by Colonel Graff which sums him up so perfectly:

"Ender doesn't just win, he wins thoroughly" 

Ender isn't the only character who goes through the crucible. Battle School is filled with brilliant kids, all trying to become leaders in the war against the Buggers. Not all of them make it. Orson Scott Card pulls no punches with his creations. Without mercy or respite, he puts his characters through huge emotional, physical and psychological challenges. Many of them break. It's fascinating - and heartbreaking - watching this happen to children who, thanks to Card's brilliant writing, have become as real to me as my own family.

The setting in the Battle School is wonderfully fleshed-out.  Although Orson Scott Card shows us much of the day to day life our hero, none of those details slow the story. In fact, the pace is fast, action-packed and riveting. 

In hindsight, some of the science fiction was amazingly accurate too. The book was written in the mid-eighties and Orson Scott Card predicted computers in every home, linked to a net - like the internet.  Pretty cool, huh? His Battle School orbits the planet in a similar way that the International Space Station orbits Earth.

But I think the biggest surprise was the ending . . . Obviously, my lips are sealed, but it would not be an exaggeration to say that it literally blew me away. (Pun intended! For those who have read the book)

Do you have to be a Sci-Fi fan to love Ender's Game? No way. The character development and plot alone are good reason to enjoy this Five Galaxy read.

Anyway, back to the movie . . .  I saw the trailer and had to share it with you. 

Orson Scott Card has been VERY involved with all aspects of this movie - which is a blend of both Ender's Game and Ender's Shadow (Goodreads), so we can be confident we're getting the very best director, screen writer and cast.

So, down to the casting . . .

I always saw Ender as much slighter and blonde! So Asa Butterfield is a bit of a mind shift for me, but I think he'll grow on me.

I love Harrison Ford as Colonel Graff! I think that's a stroke of genius there. Although I'm not sure I can imagine a grossly over-weight Harrison Ford . . . my mind just doesn't go there. Maybe they have written that out of the screenplay.

And Sir Ben Kingsley as Mazer Rackham? Fantastic! He's just what I imagined Mazer to be. And the tattoos don't worry me at all. I think they add to the Mazer Mystique!

Another surprise in the looks department is Aramis Knight chosen to play Bean. I had a totally different Bean in mind. Oh well. That is the price we pay for having our favourite books made into movies - someone else's imagination takes over.

As for the other cast, I am happy to see how they perform.

These are my thoughts . . .  expressed in a very long post (sorry about that). Now I would love to hear yours.  What do you think of the cast?
 
cheers
Gwynn

RevIew: Unwind by Neal Shusterman

Okay, I'm a wuss. I admit it. But truth is, I only got thirty pages into this book before I chickend out. I don't think I'm old or mature enough yet to read about stripping kids of their body parts to be sold on the donor market. 

However, my squeamishness didn't stop my seventeen-year-old daughter Erin. She dived into Unwind, came up for the odd breath - and to bombard me with questions - before diving back in. Her recurring question was: "Mom, would you ever send me away to be unwound?" My answer: "That all depends on whether you've cleaned your room or not." I thought it would rouse her to action, but it turned out to be an epic fail. She'd rather risk having her body parts sold off to the highest bidder than tackle that mess . .  . Oh, well. What can I say? So the following review was written by my guest blogger Erin. 

Here goes . . . 

Unwind will leave you haunted, exhilarated, terrified, shocked, amazed and unable to think about anything else for about two weeks. 

This is the horrifying and brilliant story of our world gone mad. After a war over abortion, both sides reached the conclusion that parents could sign an order for their children between the ages of 13 and 18 to be unwound. These children are taken to “Harvest Camps” where their body parts will be harvested for later use.

Three teenagers are on the run, trying to save themselves. If they can survive without being caught until they’re eighteen then they cannot be unwound. They can be imprisoned, but not unwound. Connor is your average teenage boy who messes up. In a moment of anger, his parents sign him away. Once signed, it cannot be undone. Risa is an orphan who lives in a state home. After she makes a mistake during a piano concert, the State signs her unwind order. And finally, Lev is a tithe child, brainwashed his entire life to believe that he has been especially chosen for a great mission - to save lives by being unwound. 

Often, in the book, the teens are comforted by the line “you don’t die, you just stop living.” My questions is: So, if all your body parts are alive and functioning, but in different places, are you alive or dead? If your brain still works, and your memories still exist, but they belong to someone else, then have you really died if your body is not dead? I don't have the answer and I would be afraid to hear it anyway. This is one of the things that disturbed me most of all. Trust me, you will never get over this book. I gave it five gruesome stars.

Thanks Erin. And I promise, I would never send you to be unwound no matter the state of your room. 
So from Gwynn, you wuss blogger, cheers! Enjoy the week

Blue Hearts of Mars by Nicole Grotepas: Review

I saw this book yesterday on a few blog I follow, fell in love with the cover and immediately downloaded it onto my Kindle. I then jumped it to the head of my reading queue. I'm so glad I did. I love sci-fi and this didn't disappoint.

Retta lives on Mars, which has been inhabited by humans for two hundred and fifty years. The first colonies were build by Androids. But instead of the machines being dismantled after the building was done, they became more complex, replicating humans in almost every way. They now look so similar that it's almost impossible to tell them apart. Androids think, feel, have souls, procreate and love - just like humans do. But, like all draconian societies driven by prejudice, it's forbidden by law for humans and Androids to marry, even though they live side-by-side in their domed cities. Even being friends is frowned upon.

Of course, something as silly as that does not stop Retta and Hemingway - a super hot, sexy Android - from falling in love. Their relationship catapults them into a rebellion against the government. What follows is an action-packed, fast-paced adventure with a sweet love story.

Nicole Grotepas is not scared to explore some interesting concepts about intelligence, the soul, and humanity. A lot of her views resonate with me. But don't think this is a heavy philosophical book. It's not. It's a quick, fun read with a well-devised plot, interesting characters and amazing world-building.

The book is narrated by Retta and I enjoyed being in her head. She's a fiery eighteen-year-old who can't be kept down by hate or prejudice - even when it comes from her own family. I especially liked Hemingway. He reveals himself to be tough and forthright, but also gentle and protective when it comes to the human girl he loves.

Initially the love between Retta and Hemingway seemed a bit insta, and there's the usual amount of teenage angst one finds in many young adult reads. Happily, their love developed into something credible that I believe will last. One of the things I really liked was the involvement of both Hemingway's and Retta's families. That's very refreshing for a young adult read where absentee parents are usually the norm.

Although I enjoyed the book, there were a few things that bugged me enough to knock off half a star. It's two hundred and fifty years since these people arrived here, but Retta still refers to celebrities, fashion icons and culture from twenty-first-century Earth! It kept ripping me out of Nicole Grotepas's very credible Mars world-building. Surely, after all this time, they'd have there own culture?

In one part of the book they're being chased by very determined government officials. Their images are being flashed to every citizen on Mars. This added greatly to the tension. But as soon as it no longer suited the plot, all their pursuers vanished and no one recognized them. Hmm. That doesn't work for me. But these two things are definitely minor niggles that shouldn't stop you reading this fun book.

All in all I give it three and a half shining Mars moons.

cheers
Gwynneth