Book reviews
Jun. 11th, 2006 02:55 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
cornerofmadnessI’ve been lax on the reviewing of the books I’ve been reading this year (in spite of topping my 50 books a year commitment already) but I come bearing two books that really caught my eye as the best things I’ve read so far this year.
The first is Bloodangel by Justine Musk. It’s a new book by a new author and it just so happens her dad has been in my writers group off and on for years. When he proudly proclaimed to the group that his daughter was being published we all of course agreed to read it before we even knew what it was. He assured me it was right up my alley, being horror.
He was so right. Back in the early stages, I didn’t find the title particularly grabbing (and well that hasn’t changed), however, that’s about the only quibble I have with the book. The two main character Jess and Ramsey grab you and draw you in. Jess, an up and coming artist in NYC, has a muse she can’t quite explain, a haunting young boy who keeps showing up in her artwork (I can identify with that). Ramsey is an orphaned boy in the Midwest who keeps getting bounced through the foster system with a strange history, like being covered in blood when he was found.
As we move along the web that binds them together we meet Kai who holds the secret to Jess’ past and her future. And just who is Asha whose music is drawing in fans from all over into the desert out west? We get hints of Jess’ abilities and dark portents for Ramsey’s future all spiraling down to the final battle which decides nothing less than does the earth burn or not. It’s definitely well worth the read. I especially liked young Ramsey (then again like Jess, tortured young men keep cropping up in my creative process) Bloodangel
The other book was one I found lying on the floor of the library, The Haunting of Alaizabel Cray by Chris Wooding (here’s another title I wasn’t overly fond of). This is set in an alternative Earth with a rather hazy time line but I’d put it around the Victorian period. Set in London it opens with the main character, young who is a Wych Hunter. Wych-kin here isn’t witches but the goblins, and ghoulies from all of our legends made flesh. Thaniel stumbles across a young girl, Alaizabel out in the night where no smart human would be least they become wych prey. He takes her home to Cathaline his mentor. (She’s easily one of my favorite characters).
They quickly learn that Alaizabel isn’t alone inside her skin and they try to find a way to help her, especially since Thaniel is falling for her, not to mention she seems to have attracted the attention of a secret group of sorcerers, the fraternity who, quite naturally, are trying to recreate the old gods in exchange for the powers promised to them. Things grow very dark as Thaniel and his friends have to turn to the underground beggars’ guild for help which comes in many forms including a seer named Devilboy Jack. Once again we stumble along with the heros are they battle to save the world from demonic forces that will destroy it.
The Haunting of Alaizabel Cray According to the author’s page, this one might become a movie.
Both books are very atmospheric, eerie and play with language in beautiful ways. If you’re looking for some good horror to round out your summer reading, either of these are a fine choice.
The first is Bloodangel by Justine Musk. It’s a new book by a new author and it just so happens her dad has been in my writers group off and on for years. When he proudly proclaimed to the group that his daughter was being published we all of course agreed to read it before we even knew what it was. He assured me it was right up my alley, being horror.
He was so right. Back in the early stages, I didn’t find the title particularly grabbing (and well that hasn’t changed), however, that’s about the only quibble I have with the book. The two main character Jess and Ramsey grab you and draw you in. Jess, an up and coming artist in NYC, has a muse she can’t quite explain, a haunting young boy who keeps showing up in her artwork (I can identify with that). Ramsey is an orphaned boy in the Midwest who keeps getting bounced through the foster system with a strange history, like being covered in blood when he was found.
As we move along the web that binds them together we meet Kai who holds the secret to Jess’ past and her future. And just who is Asha whose music is drawing in fans from all over into the desert out west? We get hints of Jess’ abilities and dark portents for Ramsey’s future all spiraling down to the final battle which decides nothing less than does the earth burn or not. It’s definitely well worth the read. I especially liked young Ramsey (then again like Jess, tortured young men keep cropping up in my creative process) Bloodangel
The other book was one I found lying on the floor of the library, The Haunting of Alaizabel Cray by Chris Wooding (here’s another title I wasn’t overly fond of). This is set in an alternative Earth with a rather hazy time line but I’d put it around the Victorian period. Set in London it opens with the main character, young who is a Wych Hunter. Wych-kin here isn’t witches but the goblins, and ghoulies from all of our legends made flesh. Thaniel stumbles across a young girl, Alaizabel out in the night where no smart human would be least they become wych prey. He takes her home to Cathaline his mentor. (She’s easily one of my favorite characters).
They quickly learn that Alaizabel isn’t alone inside her skin and they try to find a way to help her, especially since Thaniel is falling for her, not to mention she seems to have attracted the attention of a secret group of sorcerers, the fraternity who, quite naturally, are trying to recreate the old gods in exchange for the powers promised to them. Things grow very dark as Thaniel and his friends have to turn to the underground beggars’ guild for help which comes in many forms including a seer named Devilboy Jack. Once again we stumble along with the heros are they battle to save the world from demonic forces that will destroy it.
The Haunting of Alaizabel Cray According to the author’s page, this one might become a movie.
Both books are very atmospheric, eerie and play with language in beautiful ways. If you’re looking for some good horror to round out your summer reading, either of these are a fine choice.
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Date: 2006-06-11 08:37 pm (UTC)One of the characters you mentioned was actually supposed to die at the end of the novel, after the big showdown, but I couldn't go through with it...and thank God for that, because this character turns out to be very important to the sequel (in fact, writing the sequel without this character would have been bloody difficult in several ways).
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Date: 2006-06-11 09:26 pm (UTC)(and this reminds me to go email your dad about something he sent along to the group but I forgot about)