Golden Girl

This book is the sequel to Dust Girl which is an American Fairy Tale.

I'm finally getting around to writing the post about this one. I've had to re read this over and over a few times now. Stress took over for a bit, and my memory was wiped a few times by migraines. I also had a bunch of library books taken (which I am still stressing over), and am working on popping out another kidney stone baby.
This stone is bad enough that I missed comic con because of it. Super lame.

Anyways, finally read this book in its entirety so here it is:

Title: Golden Girl
Author: Sarah Zettel

This book is book two in the American Fairy Trilogy, this series MUST be read in order. It cannot be skipped through or read in a mishmosh like some of the other series' I've read in the past, this one has continuity that you will miss or spoil the plot with if read out of order.

Where last we left Callie she and her friend Jack were on their way to Hollywood to scope out the Seelie Court.

I love how well the dichotomy of the Dark and Light courts are played out in this series. They are indeed uniquely american. The Unseelie court (to whom Callie's father was heir) is made up primarily of dark skinned people. Their power is held in music, specifically Jazz music. 

The Seelie court (the ones causing all the trouble for this poor girl) is made up of a bunch of shining white folks, primarily in the movie industry. Their magic seems to be mostly visual/glamour based.

Callie knows that the Seelie court has her mother, and she has suspicions that her father is there too. So she goes to Hollywood. She gets hired on quickly as a stage hand to the equivalent of Shirley Temple, and her world continues to spiral out of control. This is no place for a half fairy girl who doesn't know what she is up against.

I am highly impressed with Sarah Zettles' lists and attributes at the backs of her books. She puts up historical notes as well as complete song lists labeling the tunes that she mentions throughout the series. I am also impressed with the level of attention she pays to details that meld with true history. I will be happy to read the finale of this series (and hopefully during a time that I can pay attention.)

Find it here:  https://www.amazon.com/Golden-Girl-American-Fairy-Trilogy/dp/0375869395

ISBN: 978-0-375-86939-6

The caretakers guide to Fablehaven

Title: The caretaker's guide to Fablehaven
Author: Brandon Mull
Artist: Brandon Dorman

This is sort of an artbook companion to the Fablehaven series (juvenile fiction, very similar in subject to the Spiderwick chronicles) It's not super in depth, and i would have liked it not to have been so... stiff? seeming. Many different fonts and only a few different "handwritings". I do not like the way that the added in/layered pieces work, as they have no real semblance of 3d (unlike other illustrative "guides" ive have seen do.) The descriptions are pretty dull as well.

A bit lackluster and I could have done with reading the series without this companion at all. Kids might find it interesting though, especially if they read the books.

Not gonna get this one for myself. Might think about it if I gift the series to my nephews at any point though as I do love to give whole sets not just partials.

Find it here: https://www.amazon.com/Caretakers-Guide-Fablehaven-Brandon-Mull/dp/1629720917

ISBN: 978-1-62972-091-3

Dragon's Milk

Title: Dragon's Milk
Author: Susan Fletcher

Dragon's Milk is book one of the Dragon Chronicles. 

This book is one that I first read in fourth grade when I spent my recesses working in the library. I wasn't allowed to do recess due to health problems and so instead I spent my time among the stacks; reading, putting books where they belong, checking out books to others, inventory. The whole shebang. I picked it specifically because I recognized the cover art as that by artist Rebecca Guay (who also has done art for Magic the Gathering cards, -embolden- -blessing of leeches- shes done more than 20 at my last count.)

Anyways, this book is about a girl who is an outsider in her own world. Her name is Kaeldra. She is the opposite of those around her. They are medium height, dark straight hair, dark eyes. She is tall, blonde, and has green eyes.

No one has green eyes. 

Late one night, as her favorite younger sibling lays dying of vermillion fever she hears a sound. IN her head... and her whole world comes crashing down around her.

Her grandmother through magic shows her that the unthinkable has happened. Up on the hillside near her town, a dragon dam has returned for a hatching. Dragons have not existed in this world for lifetimes, as they had been hunted furiously and decided to leave in a great migration for their own safety. 

No one can call the dragons back, or talk to them except for the girls of a lineage belonging to Kara. A girl who was nursed back to health and raised by dragons. A girl who's eyes were turned green due to dragon's milk.  

Kaeldra is related and has the green eyes, and realizes that the only chance of saving her little sister is to go and try to barter with the dragon.

In doing so, she forms a bond and gets tricked into the bargain of milk in return for child care while the dam goes hunting. To keep her sister alive. She agrees.

Three baby draclings to watch and learn from and take care of.

Milk for her sister to heal.

And then the dragonslayer arrived. Looking for the girl with green eyes, and the lair to the dragon that she must know of.

This is a very exciting book. I'm not going to spoil it, there is much more that goes on in the story (and it's part of a 3 book series, though if i recall correctly there might be an additional book that is another story of the world)

IT IS VERY SAD.

There are two or three parts in this book that have terror and sadness occupying the pages. So be warned.

You get really attached to the draclings as you read too. I think that is wonderful.

I don't recall reading the rest of this series, but i'm going to do so soon. This is a book that if I don't already have it, I will be purchasing for my bookshelves.

Find it here: https://www.amazon.com/Dragons-Dragon-Chronicles-Susan-Fletcher/dp/1416997121

*NOTE* the book link is not the same cover art as the one I read. I was unable to find a reliable link for the cover I have shown here.

ISBN *of the cover shown here* -  0-689-71623-0

Daughter of Botu

This is the first of a bunch of short stories in an anthology, I will be writing separate reviews on each of these tales as I read them.
This is one of my favorites. I first read this story in a copy of Realms of Fantasy magazine (which was disbanded a few years ago, so the only place to find those is on ebay as back issues. Once they're gone, they're gone. Which is quite unfortunate due to them being a high quality fantasy magazine.) that I had received in a swag bag at the Faerieworlds Festival when it was still in Eugene, OR. It took for frigging EVER to track down this exact story, but I finally was able to. (I cannot wait to see what the other stories are like!)

Thus, I received this book as a Christmas present this year. AWESOME.

Story: Daughter of Botu
Book Title: Returning my Sister's Face, and other far eastern tales of whimsy and malice.
Author: Eugie Foster

You will be seeing this book cover each time I review a story in this collection. Just FYI so that you aren't concerned that you're about to read the same post as last time.

Daughter of Botu is absolutely magical. It is harsh, it is gritty. It is about Rabbits. It is about shapeshifting. It is about remembering who you are, and  knowing where you came from.

This is the story of An-ying. A young female rabbit who belongs to a warren of rabbits who have had multitudes of bad luck. Poison, trouble with foxes, hunters, and severe drought. 

The last thing she expected was for her fate to take over (though her grandmother knew exactly what was in store.)

Four words: Rabbit... Human... love story.

It's soooooo good you guys. If you like stories that deal with shapeshifters you will love this one; to have a rabbit be the shifter is a complete breath of fresh air after being swamped with werewolves and vampires for years. Prey animals are not normally seen as having shifting abilities in modern shape shifter stories. It is wonderful.

Word to the wise: You're probably going to learn a few chinese words. Foster does a great job of seamlessly blending the english and chinese terms so that they are easily understood without a glossary. I think it also a breath of fresh air that she gave traditional names instead of automatically naming characters Caucasian names. 

Check out this book!

Find it here: https://www.amazon.com/Returning-My-Sisters-Face-Eastern/dp/1607620111

ISBN: 1-60762-011-1

Dust Girl

People say "Don't judge a book by its cover." BUT I do this literally all the time. You have to be an author that i'm interested in, a subject I really really like, or have a decent concept for me to ignore the cover of the book and jump right into it.

This is not the case of one of those... though in the same vein, the title of the series -not the actual book title- caught my eye.

Title: Dust Girl
Author: Sarah Zettel

"Dust Girl" is book one of The American Fairy Trilogy. 

The AMERICAN fairy trilogy. THAT is something new to me. There has only been one other book series that i've read that had any books focusing on the folklore of the Americas. That specifically would be O.R. Melling's "The book of dreams" in the Faerie Chronicles series. This however is specific to AMERICA and not just north america. The good ol U.S. of A.

This book follows the story of a girl named Callie as she finds herself in the Dust Bowl in the 30s. She has a lot going against her in the world. She is a girl, a teenager, a bastard child (born out of wedlock and her father is not present), and bi-racial. (In the years that the book takes place in, she would be called Mulatto or worse if anyone found out, and it is presented that if people knew that her father was a black man... let alone a musician... she would lose any "privilege" she stood to have.)

Life is hard for Callie. She doesn't know herself. Her world is a hard one, living with her single mother who pines and promises that her daddy will be coming back for them someday, and being in the middle of the dust bowl. The whole town has disappeared around them and it's very hard to keep money in the pocket; let alone food on the table. Her mother has an inkling of the magic involved with her fathers music (jazz, which was something only "uncivilized" people played and listened to) and tells her to play to call him back to her. 

She calls something all right. but it isn't her father. 

This is another book where they portray fairies "properly". Not the cutesy flower fairies that grant wishes and do nice things, but the darker more changeable creatures that do not carry the same morals as humans at all. They have their own rules, to them. EVERYTHING is rules... but rules can be changed by wording or meaning or slipperiness. There is no dark or light, only what gets them their way.

This book does leave you wanting more, and does a great job of mixing folklore and fantasy with the realities of the times. 

Sarah Zettel did rather well I think, as this was her first novel for teens. I actively await reading the rest of this series and hope that the library has it somewhere in the systems.

Find it here: http://www.sarahzettel.com/novel/dust-girl/

ISBN: 978-0-375-86938-9

Elf Quest: The final Quest VOLUME TWO

Managed to find both this and the previous entry's book in the library at the same time so why not read them in a row! (The next book is available for pre-order currently but not in libraries or on the market yet.)


Elf Quest: The final Quest   VOLUME TWO
by: Wendy and Richard Pini

Elf Quest is another series that has a highly recognizable style to it, Wendy's art is beautiful and stylized. This series started way back in 1978 and is still continuing! (It's totally worth it to read all the previous volumes.)

This is a compilation of issues #7-#12 of the "final quest" segment of ElfQuest. It is in full color.

There were many characters in this issue that I was not expecting to appear! My favorite (Rayek) Is back, and there are huge amounts of character growth again amongst the players. The key word once again is: Change. 

Many characters experienced transformation this time around. Some VERY late in the game, but game changing in their own right. Timmian reveals many things that are overwhelming and in at least one case MADDENING. Cutter's son Sunstream becomes invaluable and may be the catalyst that brings the entire world together... or tears it apart.

Humans once again begin to play their part, some in good ways. Some in terrible ways. At least one in a COMPLETELY unexpected and surprising way.

I truly cannot wait to read VOLUME THREE when it comes out. 

Find it here: https://www.amazon.com/Elfquest-Final-Quest-Wendy-Pini/dp/161655410X

and signed/special editions of the whole collection here:  http://elfquest.com/shop/

The signed editions are very affordable and I think I will splurge on them when I go to start up my elfquest collection.

ISBN: 978-1-61655-410-1

Elf Quest: the final Quest VOLUME ONE

Ahhhh ElfQuest. One of the series' that i've loved for ever so long.
Today we journey into:

 Elf Quest: The final Quest   VOLUME ONE
by: Wendy and Richard Pini

Elf Quest is another series that has a highly recognizable style to it, Wendy's art is beautiful and stylized. This series started way back in 1978 and is still continuing! (It's totally worth it to read all the previous volumes.)

This is the compilation of the first six issues of comics from the "final quest" line. It is in full color, and rather magnificent. It's been some time since i've read the series but I will always remember the general happenings of it. This selection seems to focus on three things. Cutter's daughter Ember, a human named Angrif Djun who is bringing back war and trouble to the tribes, and the thoughts that the Palace of the High Ones is changing everyone (whether for good or bad, we do not know.)

It is full of births, deaths, but most of all: Change. 

I wasn't expecting to like Ember this time around but she has grown up quite a bit. Before she was very annoying and out of place as a character to me, but its all come full circle and shes become a character fighting for her own power. The team gets into quite a few hard spots but it all works out in one way or another.

This is full of re-caps on some characters so it was a great refresher course. Though to get the full experience DO read the others!

Find it here: https://www.amazon.com/Elfquest-Final-Quest-Wendy-Pini/dp/1616554096

and signed/special editions of the whole collection here:  http://elfquest.com/shop/

The signed editions are very affordable and I think I will splurge on them when I go to start up my elfquest collection.

ISBN: 978-1-61655-409-5