Who is Marcus Finch? (Day 11)

Dun dun DUN!  The plot thickens.  And you can find out more in the newest Bloodlines novel by Richelle Mead, THE INDIGO SPELL, coming out on February 12th.  (To hold you over till then, check out the Facebook page, the book trailer, or this excerpt of the first three chapters of THE INDIGO SPELL.  Or just keep coming back to IBWB for more clues.)

I bet you really want to win that hardcover of THE INDIGO SPELL now!  All you have to do is enter below.

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Review: Pantomime

By Laura Lam
Available now from Strange Chemistry (Angry Robot)
Review copy

Micah Grey runs away from his life as a privileged aristocrat and joins R.H. Ragona's Circus of Magic.  He wants the chance to discover who he is, rather than who his parents expect him to be, especially after learning something rather unexpected about his past and unwelcome about his future right before running.

He doesn't fit into the circus immediately.  He might be an outsider and an outcast, but he has to endure the other performers' hazing in order to prove it.  He must work hard at grunt work and train to be an aerialist.  He starts a relationship with Aenea Harper, one of the circus's experienced aerialists, and feels a strange attraction to Drystan, the circus's head clown.  But it's difficult for Micah to keep his secrets and gain the trust of the performers.

PANTOMIME is also the story of Iphigenia Laurus, who wants to be called Gene, though only her brother bothers.  She's old enough to make her debut, but she's not interested in courting and being a lady.  She'd rather climb trees and hang with her brother's friends, just like she did as a little kid.  She chafes under society's expectations and lives in fear of being married off to some dolt, because a clever man would discover her secrets rather quickly.

The fantasy elements of PANTOMIME are subtle.  Most of Ellada's magic is relics, rare and losing power.  But not all magic is gone.  Micah might have a connection to those vanished Civilizations, though he's often too busy trying to conceal it than to bother trying to discover how.

I rather enjoyed PANTOMIME and its examination of class, society, and gender combined with the classic stories of a boy running away to join the circus and a girl avoiding an unpleasant marriage.  Some of the story's reveals are obvious, but other twists are very surprising.  And it all builds to a sudden, violent conclusion.  PANTOMIME is only the beginning of the story.  It's a lovely, quiet story but I expect the sequel will be more explosive, given everything that happens.

I recommend PANTOMIME for fantasy fans looking for something slightly offbeat and full of subtle magics, as well as for people looking for something to follow the bestselling THE NIGHT CIRCUS.  It's a magical, romantic tale and I think Laura Lam is an author to watch.

Who is Marcus Finch? (Day 10)

The newest Bloodlines novel by Richelle Mead, THE INDIGO SPELL, comes out on February 12th.  For more information, check out the Facebook page, the book trailer, or this excerpt of the first three chapters of THE INDIGO SPELL.

Wanna bet that he's been going by "Max Power"?  Or perhaps he's not a Simpsons fan . . . surely that's not possible.  But you can make some guesses below and enter to win a hardcover copy of THE INDIGO SPELL!  Or you can just post something random.  I'm not fussy.

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Who is Marcus Finch? (Day 9)

The fabulously fantastic giveaway of the newest Bloodlines novel by Richelle Mead, THE INDIGO SPELL (Feb 12), continues.  For more information about the book, check out the Facebook page, the book trailer, or this excerpt of the first three chapters of THE INDIGO SPELL.

When you reach this scene in the book, just remember: I totally agree with Sydney's assessment of CATCHER IN THE RYE and boys who treasure it.  Ugh.  Beware guys who are really into Charles Bukowski too.

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Review: The Twelve-Fingered Boy

First in a trilogy
By John Hornor Jacobs
Available now from Carolrhoda LAB (Lerner)
Review copy

I have got to stop assuming that books are standalones.  When I reached the end of THE TWELVE-FINGERED BOY, I couldn't believe it.   I was relieved to learn that two more books were coming and that the story would continue, but all the open threads were a bit of a shock.

The twelve-fingered boy in question is Jack Graves, the new kid as Casimir Pulaski Juvenile Detention Center.  The narrator is his roommate Shreveport "Shreve" Cannon, the biggest candy dealer in all four blocks.  Soon after Jack arrives, a man named Mr. Quincrux shows up to interview him.  Shreve eavesdrops because he has a bad feeling about the man and his interest in Jack - a feeling that turns out to be very prescient.  Soon the two boys are busting out of juvie and desperately running across the country to protect themselves. 

THE TWELVE-FINGERED BOY will appeal to fans of the X-Men and Spider-man.  Jack has special abilities, and their encounters with Mr. Quincrux awaken a power in Shreve.  Although they're concerned with keeping themselves alive and safe at first, they start to realize that they might have extra responsibilities due to their extraordinary capabilities.  That's not a thought that comes easily to Shreve, whose short life has taught him that it is acceptable to hurt others to keep yourself and your loved ones safe.

John Hornor Jacobs imbues Shreve with a unique, absorbing voice.  His morality is slightly skewed, and he has the potential to grow up to be a good person - or a really bad one.  And his relationship with Jack, who reminds him of his younger brother, is quite sweet.  Their journey across America is harrowing, not just because of who is chasing them and what they might run into, but because the corner they're backed into might turn them into what they're running from.

I'm not enamored with the ending of THE TWELVE-FINGERED BOY.  While Shreve and Jack to manage to accomplish something important, because the ending made the entire novel seem somewhat pointless.  I'm certainly curious about what will happen next, and at least next time I'll know that the end isn't really the end.