Library Book Review > Grave Mercy

By: Robin LaFevers

Published  By:  Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Publish Date:  April 3rd 2012

Pages: 549 hardcover

Tags:  Young Adult, Fantasy Fiction, Adventure, Historical Fantasy, Series, Magic
Source:  Community Library

Why did the Mad Scientist read this book? A convent of female assassins working for the God of Death (Mortain) had MS whirling!!!

@madsteampunkery

Truly beyond that MS was unsure of what to expect. Although, once the post went on instagram about my current read several comments were posted about how great the book was. Sweet biscuits. How truly exciting!

Ismae is the daughter of death. Of course, being as such her life was hard starting before even birth. Her father sold into a marriage at a young age to a detestable man who nearly beat to her last breathe. She was whisked away by a priest who worships the old saints to a convent where she was to choose to work and train to become a handmaiden of death or to go to a husband. 

"Why be the sheep, when you can be the wolf?"

Planet & Book Love <3

After crossing paths with Lord Duval during an assignment to snuff out a traitors life without being caught Ismae finds herself thrust into his company as his mistress. Scoffing at the very idea of being his mistress she was bid to pack and leave the convent immediately. She is to be the eyes and ears at court and to kill those Mortain bids by bearing the Marque of Death.

"When one consorts with assassins, one must expect to dance along the edge of a knife once or twice."

They are both muddled over the forced companionship. Ismae determined not to let another male walk over her or shift her faith. However, she starts to bloom as she questions what her convent requests of her. 

Here is how the Mad Scientist pictures Ismae: 

Duval is unwavering in his loyalty & protectiveness of Duchess Anne, his half sister. He can also wield a sword and hold his own along side one who is trained in death. Plus, this man plays chess. *flutters fan* MS loved how he would visit Ismae's room to give appearance of visiting his mistress into the night. Ismae blustered and bumbled and their friendship developed. 

"I comfort myself with the knowledge that if Duval ever feels smothered by me, it will be because I am holding a pillow over his face."

The political plots of stealing the duchy from little Anne was a foot. The race to find Anne a suitable husband from the many who were promised her hand from her late father proved to be a daunting task. It was getting ever so hard to trust the people around her, including Duval's own mother and brother. Twisting and turning it finally came to the point where one could see the who was behind such dastardly plans. 

Reading Grave Mercy during the holidays was a treat. Retreating into such a world full of horses, dresses, and a castle. Fantasy plus history and MS was loving every page of the this huge tome. 

** Thanks to the Oneida Community Library and Inter-Library Loan! All Mad thoughts are presented in the right mind of a twisted brain of the Mad Scientist!**

Originally Posted at Steampunkery & Book Reviews.

Can hardly wait to pick up Book Two!

Book Review ---> Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare

By:  Cassandra Clare
Series:  The Infernal Devices #1
Published By: Margaret McElderry - 2010
Pages:  476 Hardcover
Rating:  4
Book Cover Rating:  4
Read:  August 2011
Genre:  Steampunk, Young Adult, Paranormal, Historical Fiction

First Line: The demon exploded in a shower of ichor and guts.

Black Disaster Fairy's Take:
This Fairy was in love with the City of Bones so I had to give this prequel Steampunk wonder a whirl!!  Plus I am ashamed to admit this beauty was perched on my shelf for way too long.


Tessa Grey is our damsel in distress if you will.  In the beginning she leaves America and heads for London to meet up with her older brother, Nate.  Shortly after she arrives she gets herself kidnapped by a crazy duo appropriately named the Dark Sisters!  These ladies push her to do painful tasks that reveal to us and her that she is not as human and normal as she thought.


It seems dramatic, however, don't let that fool you.  The beginning of this novel is very much on the slow pace.  Skip 50 pages if you will.


Aha!  Now we get to meet the dashing silver haired Jem, the mouthy bad boy you want to slap and kiss at the same time is Will, and a handful of other shawdowhunters.  Now Clare is getting somewhere!  These boys make the pages fly and I hope more of their stories appear in the following books.  


Now please do not fret.  If you did not pick up the City of Bones or any of the following in the series.  It is very much ok, at least a little bit.  You would have a bit more of an understanding if you have read the Mortal Instruments first.  Tessa does a good job at bringing the Shadowhunter world to the reader.  As she struggles to find out more of the world and of how her origins fit into it the reader is given information slowly.  Tessa is also wonderfully strong and confident which was intriguing giving the time frame.  I was expecting more of a daffodil who had to have matching parasols and shoes.


This is a prequel I remind myself but there were so many similarities between this book and The Mortal Instruments.  The characters are about the same.  Tessa resembles Clary for me.  As Will does Jace and Jem is like Alec.  I would even say Jessamine is Isabelle.  I was hoping for more of a jump into something that did not seem like a remake.


Overall, Clockwork Angel was a good read. Truly.  Victorian London, clockwork automons, and the mysterious twist add enough to make it a dark Steampunk read.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by JK Rowling

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (Harry Potter, #1)

By JK Rowling

Publisher: Scholastic, 1997

309 pages, hardcover

Date Finished: 17/4/2011

Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy, Coming of Age, Action, Historical Fiction

Harry Potter has never been the star of a Quidditch team, scoring points while riding a broom far above the ground. He knows no spells, has never helped to hatch a dragon, and has never worn a cloak of invisibility.

All he knows is a miserable life with the Dursleys, his horrible aunt and uncle, and their abominable son, Dudley--a great big swollen spoiled bully. Harry's room is a tiny closet at the foot of the stairs, and he hasn't had a birthday party in eleven years.

But all of that is about to change when a mysterious letter arrives by owl messenger: a letter with an invitation to an incredible place that Harry--and anyone who reads about him--will find unforgettable.

For it's there that he finds not only friends, aerial sports, and magic in everything from classes to meals, but a great destiny that's been waiting for him...if Harry can survive the encounter.
~from goodreads.com~

~First Line: "Mr. and Mrs. Dursley, of number four, Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much."
~Last Line: " 'I'm going to have a lot of fun with Dudley this summer. . . .' "

Review: This was a reread for me. I probably wouldn't have read the thrilling series-beginner if it hadn't been for Marcie hosting her Harry Potter Reading Challenge.

The well-known Harry Potter begins his years at Hogwarts hoping not to disappoint. However, even if he isn't as good as one of his best friends, Hermione Granger, who can make any teacher proud, he makes people (especially us readers) proud because of his definite bravery.

My favorite character in this book . . . I'm not really sure. I love Dumbledore for sure, and Fred and George always make me laugh. But I don't think I have a favorite character for this series. Maybe I'll have one after I read Chamber of Secrets!

I think my favorite scene, however, was when Ron, Harry, Hermione were trying to save the Stone from ending up in the wrong hands. Let's just say that those very brave first years definitely had some challenges to solve :).

This really was an awesome start to an awesome series. I will have to start rereading Chamber of Secrets sometime soon!



Quotes from the Book:

" 'We'll send you a Hogwarts toilet seat.' "

" 'Ah, music. A magic beyond all we do here.' "

"There are some things you can't share without ending up liking each other, and knocking out a twelve-foot troll is one of them."

" 'But we're not stupid -- we know we're called Gred and Forge.' "

" 'What happened down in the dungeons between you and Professor Quirrel is a complete secret, so, naturally, the whole school knows.' "

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

Pride and Prejudice

By Jane Austen

Publisher: BrillianceAudio, 2008

0 pages, audiobook

Date Finished:

Genres: Historical Fiction, Classics, Young Adult, Romance, Coming of Age, Realistic Fiction

So begins Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen's witty comedy of manners--one of the most popular novels of all time--that features splendidly civilized sparring between the proud Mr. Darcy and the prejudiced Elizabeth Bennet as they play out their spirited courtship in a series of eighteenth-century drawing-room intrigues. Renowned literary critic and historian George Saintsbury in 1894 declared it the "most perfect, the most characteristic, the most eminently quintessential of its author's works," and Eudora Welty in the twentieth century described it as "irresistible and as nearly flawless as any fiction could be."
~from goodreads.com~

~First Line: "It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of good fortune, must be in want of a wife."
~Last Line: "Darcy, as well as Elizabeth, really loved them; and they were both ever sensible of the warmest gratitude towards the persons who, by bringing her into Derbyshire, had been the means of uniting them."

Review: I had been wanting to read this classic novel for years; I finally got the chance. In my opinion, the fact that I listened to it on audiobook made it even better. (Although I think it was just the British accent in which it was read.)

The main character, Elizabeth Bennett, is the second eldest of five girls, preceded by Jane, and followed by Mary, Kitty (is her real name Katherine??), and Lydia. She is very down-to-earth, and her opinions are more different than other people's; however, they aren't necessarily wrong or ignorant, just more thought out that others.

I would think that my favorite characters were Jane and Mr. Darcy. Jane, for one, was very compassionate, and, even when she most definitely disagreed with someone, she let them finish talking before stating her opinion.

Mr. Darcy was, at first, someone that I thought was just a truly terrible person, but as the story progressed, you saw other sides to him. He, too, was compassionate and cared for Elizabeth like no other. He was touchy on some subjects, and had certain peoploe that he just most definitely despised, but at least he wasn't two-faced about it; they knew that he had no means of liking them whatsoever.

Pride and Prejudice was a fantastic novel. The romance over the whole tale was what made it so interesting. The characters never really ended up with who you thought they would. Or at least that's how it happened for me.

I think everyone should unquestionably read this novel before death :).

Zan Gah: A Prehistoric Adventure

Zan-Gah: A Prehistoric Adventure By Allan Richard Shickman
Publisher: Earthshaker Books, 2010
Pages: 148
Genres: Action, Adventure, Coming of Age, Historical Fiction, Young Adult
Reviewed by Kate
Thanks so much to Bonnie Lenz and Mr. Shickman for this great book!

Zan-Gah, seeking his lost twin brother in a savage prehistoric world, encounters adventure, suffering, conflict, captivity, and final victory. In three years hero passes from an uncertain boyhood to a tried and proven manhood and a position of leadership among his people. Themes include survival, brotherhood, cultures, gender roles, psychological trauma, and nature's wonders and terrors. This is the electronic version of Zan-Gah: A Prehistoric Adventure, which has been awarded Mom's Choice Gold Medal for Series, the Eric Hoffer Notable Book Award, and was a finalist for ForeWord Magazine Book of the Year.

As you can see this book got a lot of awards. And while I could not see it at first I know why now. I thought it was going to be a decent book but I did not expect to like it enough to keep reading and not being able to put it down, and that, for me, means it is a good book. This book was a lot different than I expected but Shickman really painted the characters and the world that Zan lives in so well that it was easy to get drawn into the book for that reason alone, then add the suspense and action and you have a great book! The story was so full of action and suspense that you were always wondering what Zan would face next in his journey. I cannot wait to read more from Zan and his brother Dael, especially Dael, I'm currently reading his story, expect a review soon! Now, if you have a younger reader, especially a boy, you need to get them this book, even if they don't like reading I bet they love this book. Anyone that is any age can find something in the book to enjoy but I think that this book can get younger kids reading. I think it would be great for schools to have, though their is a little violence. But it depicts the pre-historic world so good I would be great to read to learn about the time and on top of that you have a good story to read.

4 Kisses!

Milkweed by Jerry Spinelli

Milkweed
By Jerry Spinelli
Publisher: Laurel-Leaf, 2003
208 pages, paperback
Date finished: 5/1/2011
Genres: Young Adult, Historical Fiction, Coming of Age, Action

He’s a boy called Jew. Gypsy. Stopthief. Runt. Happy. Fast. Filthy son of Abraham.

He’s a boy who lives in the streets of Warsaw. He’s a boy who steals food for himself and the other orphans. He’s a boy who believes in bread, and mothers, and angels. He’s a boy who wants to be a Nazi some day, with tall shiny jackboots and a gleaming Eagle hat of his own. Until the day that suddenly makes him change his mind. And when the trains come to empty the Jews from the ghetto of the damned, he’s a boy who realizes it’s safest of all to be nobody.

Newbery Medalist Jerry Spinelli takes us to one of the most devastating settings imaginable—Nazi-occupied Warsaw of World War II—and tells a tale of heartbreak, hope, and survival through the bright eyes of a young orphan.
~from goodreads.com~

~First Line: I am running."
~Last Line: "I was. Now I am. I am . . . Poppynoodle."

Review: This was the first historical fiction novel I'd read since Zan-Gah #2, so I was hoping that it would be super-good and interesting. Especially since it is set during World War 2; I wasn't let down at all.

The main character, Misha as we later learn to call him, is tiny and can run fast; these two characteristics are the major factors as to why he's so good at smuggling food to eat. Jewish men with long beards were dressed in allblack and were demanded to clean the streets with their beards while the soliders, whom Misha calls Jackboots, laugh at them.

Times are hard for everyone, especially Jews, and for a period of time, Misha, Uri, and the other boys who smuggle food were joyous. They lived in a stable that had an entire pile of food that they never thought would disappear. Soon all the Jews and the boys are moved to what becomes knwon as the ghetto. The Flops, Jewish soldiers that are in control of the ghetto, hang smugglers when they catch them. If you don't consider this a hard time for the Jewish population, you should DEFINITELY read this novel (and the Diary of Anne Frank, but that's another story for another time).

This really was an amazing story of a boy in Warsaw, Germany. It puts you in the place od someone who had to live that way. Spinelli unquestionably portrayed part of Europe's struggle very well. Not only were there wonderful characters, but there was a little action, lots of emotions. I loved reading what Misha went through, and not only because of the story elements, but because it's part of the world's history. We should all know what our ancestors had to go through.



Quotes from the book:

"Several of the men left the line and headed toward us, shouting. We flung our cigarettes and ran. My leash flapped wildly, slapping tombstones. Suddenly Kuba stopped. He turned his back to the men, dropped his pants, and bent over and gave them a good, long look. The running men shouted louder, but no louder than we laughed."

" 'Don't worry, the ghetto is for you too. I hear they rake Gypsies. And cripples. And crazies. If you want to be safe, be a cockroach.' "

"I slept in the hay and plated with the mice in the barn. One was my favorite. I shared my turnips with it. I called it Janina. I taught it to run up my arm and stand on my head. Then a cat ate it."

"No one hired me to sell the best products. The problems were my size (I had stopped growing at five feet, one inch), my accent, and my missing ear, which now looked like a clump of cauliflower. I couldn't blame them. Who would let such a galoot in the door? 'Good day, madam. Can I interest you in a nice vacuum cleaner?' Forget it."

Zan-Gah and the Beautiful Country by Allan Richard Shickman

Zan-Gah and the Beautiful Country (Zan-Gah, #2)
By Allan Richard Shickman
Publisher: Earthshaker Books, 2009
151 pages, paperback
Date Finished: 23/12/2010
Genres: Historical Fiction, Young Adult, Action, Adventure

~First Line of Book: "When Lissa-Na died, Dael wept real tears."
~Last Line of Book: "He only knew that the demons who had long possessed his twin had departed; that healing and regenration were still possible because there is a secret place in every soul that has never yet been wounded."

Again, thank you to Bonnie Lenz & Mr. Shickman for sending me these books. They were awesome! :D

Review: The sequel to Zan-Gah: A Prehistoric Adventure was amazing! The characters developed even more, and there were even some that made debuts. There was also more action, especially since we had another major battle.

Besides the predominant adventure that was made when Zan's people, the Ba-Coro, moved to the Beautiful Country, there were a few more travels that got to read about. My favorite was definitely when Zan, Rydl, Dael, and some of Dael's followers went looking for tar -- and found a volcano! It was really cool, but Dael started to creep me out a little.

I would definitely say read this novel! It really was an ah-mazing sequel, and I hope that you all get the chance to read this wonderful series :D. I can't wait until the third and fourth books are released!

(4.5 Kisses)

Quotes from the Book:

"He did not realize that Pax, who happened to be busy nearby, had overheard most of what was said -- had heard her husband praise Lissa-na and confess that he loved her. That was bad luck, and there was more to come."

"All three [mountains] were capped with snow, except that the central one, open at the top, sent up a column of rolling smoke. Bursts of fire and showers of hot sparks exploded from its ragged peak, followed moments later by loud growling noises. At each eruption the ground shook. The mountain's pure shape rose upward in even, symmetrical arcs that were both simple and sublime, while the fountain of fire at the apex challenged and polluted the sky." (It's a volcano! Cool, huh?)

"These desert people were unfamiliar with the wolf and afraid of it, but that did not slow them down and they ran with all their might."

"He had that strange aura of the other world shining from his still-pale face, and looked exactly like what he was -- a corpse that had returned to life."

Zan-Gah: A Prehistoric Adventure by Allan Richard Shickman

Zan-Gah: A Prehistoric Adventure (Zan-Gah, #1)
By Allan Richard Shickman
Publisher: Earthshaker Books, 2010 (second printing)
148 pages, paperback
Date Finished: 11/ 11/ 2010
Genres: Young Adult, Historical Fiction, Action, Adventure, Coming of Age

~First Line of Book: "From a long dfistance a traveler, or some wild thing, might see within the deep and absolute blackness of night an intense orange light which looked from afar like a glowing coal."
~Last Line of Book: "Dael smiled."

Review: Firstly, I would like to send a big THANK YOU to Bonnie Lenz at Earthshaker Books for contacting me and asking me to review this book; another thank you to Mr. Shickman for autographing the book.

Now on to my review.

Zan-Gah: A Prehistoric Adventure was an amazing series debut. The story's main character, Zan, is serious a lot, and has a twin named Dael, who is always cheerful and happy. Dael and Zan have a fight one day over food, and Dael wanders off -- and never returns. A year later, Zan earns a new name, Zan-Gah, for his bravery in the killing of an enemy. Zan starts having strange dreams about Dael and sets off to find and rescue his lovable brother. Zan makes new friends and basically becomes a man during his struggle to stay alive and successfully find his twin. Adventure, action, unity and forgiveness. This series debut will have you reading it whenever you ahve the chance! I recommend this book to all Historical Fiction lover. A great read indeed :).

Rating:


Quotes from the Book:

--And now for the bad news: I read the book so fast and was so into it that I forgot to gather quotes from the novel! I am sorry that you all have to suffer because of it, but at least now you might actually go buy the book (lol). But no matter. I wish to very Happy Reading!!

Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor

Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry (Logans, #1)
By Mildred D. Taylor
Publisher: the Penguin Group, 1997
276 pages, paperback
Date Finished: 9/3/2010
Genres: Young Adult, Historical Fiction, Realistic Fiction

First Line of Book: " 'Little Man, would you come on?' "
Last Line of Book: "I cried for T.J. For T.J. and the land."

Review: I reread Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry initially for a challenge on GoodReads, but I really didn't mind. This novel is actually not the first book in the Logans series. There are prequels named The Land and Song of the Trees. Anyway, the main character, Cassie, lives in Mississippi with her family during the 1930s, and things aren't as great for blacks as they are now. Taylor showed us some very good, but terrible, examples of what blacks went through during those times. Cassie and her family are lucky enough to have their own land, and Harlan Granger wants that land back. Lots of family stuff in the book, learning how to stick together, even in bad times. Anyone -- black OR white -- should read this book. It really has an effect on people. :)

Rating:


Quotes from the Book:

" 'How'd she look?' inquired Little Man.
'Like . . . death.' T.J. waited for a moment for his words to be appropriately shocking, but the effect was spoiled by Little Man, who asked lightly, 'What does death look like?'
T.J. turned in annoyance. 'Don't he know nothing?' "

" 'And good riddance,' I thought, promising myself that if he ever pulled anything like that on me, I'd knock his block off."

"Then, red with anger, she stepped daintily across the clearing and struck me hard across the face. For the record, she had hit me first; I didn't plan on her hitting me again."


--Zakiya, the walking butterfly

The Good Thief by Hanna Tinti - Guest Review

I'd like to welcome this week's guest reviewer. Elizabeth is one of the moderators from For the Love of Reading on Goodreads.com. She is a teacher and a brilliant reviewer. I hope you all enjoy this review as much as I have!
--Jen

Title: The Good Thief
Author: Hannah Tinti
Pages: 327
Published:327 Pages

Synopsis:Twelve year-old Ren is missing his left hand. How it was lost is a mystery that Ren has been trying to solve for his entire life, as well as who his parents are, and why he was abandoned as an infant at Saint Anthony’s Orphanage for boys. He longs for a family to call his own and is terrified of the day he will be sent alone into the world.

But then a young man named Benjamin Nab appears, claiming to be Ren’s long-lost brother, and his convincing tale of how Ren lost his hand and his parents persuades the monks at the orphanage to release the boy and to give Ren some hope. But is Benjamin really who he says he is? Journeying through a New England of whaling towns and meadowed farmlands, Ren is introduced to a vibrant world of hardscrabble adventure filled with outrageous scam artists, grave robbers, and petty thieves. If he stays, Ren becomes one of them. If he goes, he’s lost once again. As Ren begins to find clues to his hidden parentage he comes to suspect that Benjamin not only holds the key to his future, but to his past as well.(goodreads.com)

Review:

I became interested in reading The Good Thief by Hannah Tanti because I love the publication she is the founder of onestory. I received a postcard about her first book of fiction (she has a short story collection entitled Animal Crackers), but didn’t immediately seek it out.

I am sorry to have waited so long.

This book is riveting. It is set during what feels like the late 1800’s. Ren, our protagonist, is an orphan. Abandoned at a young age, Ren is raised by Catholic monks at Saint Anthony’s Orphanage for boys. Ren is nearing the age when he will be sold into the military and so whenever a potential parent comes to look at the boys, he makes himself more presentable.

On one fate-filled day, a man comes to the orphanage looking for his brother. His brother and Ren share a common characteristic: they are missing a part of their left arm. Benjamin breaks down in tears when he sees Ren and takes him home to live with him. It is only when they are well on their way down the road that Ren realizes Benjamin may not be who he says he is and may have questionable motives for taking Ren as his family.

Benjamin and Ren travel to a town called North Umbrage where Benjamin is living in a ramshackled house. Upon arrival, Ren is introduced to Tom, a retired teacher, who is apparently in cahoots with Benjamin. The two men are con artists and have taken Ren under their wings.

The story then begins to take on an almost surreal nature as we are introduced to various characters that the trio meets along the way. There is Mrs. Sands, the keeper of the inn in which they are staying, who speaks loudly because she has trouble hearing. Dolly, a hit man that is buried alive and only discovered upon disinterment by the trio.

Ren is a likable and worthy protagonist and his journey is one that readers of all types will enjoy. This story manages to appeal to both young adult readers and adults. It is one of those books that are you read it, you just want to keep turning the pages because the story is so compelling and engaging. Tinti utilizes setting to create unforgettable images and moves the reader into the minds of these characters.

An exceptional debut. Everyone should seek out this book.
--Elizabeth