Tag Archive | villains

After the End, by Amy Plum (book review) – what war? what secrets?

May6

book cover of After the End by Amy Plum published by HarperTeenIn World War III‘s aftermath,
only one clan survives,
deep in Alaska’s wilderness…
but it’s all a lie.

Told in alternating chapters by Juneau and Miles, this roadtrip adventure with paranormal underpinnings and dueling Big Pharma teams as pursuers is first in a two-book series by the author of Die For Me (my review of If I Die series volume 1 here).

Today is the book birthday of After the End, so ask for it at your local library or favorite independent bookstore and hit the road with two unlikely allies (don’t forget the PopTarts).
**kmm

Book info:  After the End / Amy Plum. HarperTeen, 2014. [author site]  [publisher site]  [author video introducing After the End] Review copy and cover image courtesy of the publisher.

My book talk: When her clan is taken, Juneau must enter a modern world she thought was destroyed and convince a rebellious teen guy to help her find them while staying clear of the kidnappers.

Juneau can Read glimpses of the future through the Yara in everything, but now the 17-year-old sage in training must grapple with the lies her clan’s adults taught about fleeing World War III’s devastation by settling in the Alaskan wilderness 30 years ago.

Kinda-sorta hijacked into a road trip with this crazy survivalist girl, Miles plans to bring Juneau to Blackwell Pharmaceutical and get back into his dad’s good graces, but then…

Zigzagging from Mount Rainier to Salt Lake City, pursued by her former mentor and his dad’s goons, Juneau and Miles try to unravel cryptic prophecies in a race to find her father and her clan whose members never get sick, never grow old.  First in a two book series. (One of 6,000 books recommended on www.abookandahug.com)

Star Wars & Shakespeare = The Empire Striketh Back, by Ian Doescher (book review)

May4

book cover of William Shakespeare's The Empire Striketh Back by Ian Doescher published by Quirk BooksFrom icy Hoth to Bespin’s airy clime,
Imper’al forces chase our valiant crew!
Through ast’roid field and perils dire, they flee –
Han Solo, Wookiie, rebel Princess, too.

Sage Yoda teacheth Luke the Jedi way,
As taught he this boy’s father in the past.
Yet time grows short and Skywalker departs –
His friends meet treachery this very day.

Lord Vader’s maskéd face his secret hides,
Now Luke must face a past he wouldst deny.
The Empire Striketh Back at freedom’s cause!
For hero, rebels, friends, so dark a time.

(Seek thee beginning of this Star Wars tale?
Yea, Verily A New Hope find’st thou here.
Fear not! We shall rejoin our friends eftsoon,
as in July, The Jedi Doth Return!)

Gentle reader, May the Force be with thee!
**kmm

Book info:  William Shakespeare’s The Empire Striketh Back (Star Wars: Part the Fifth) / Ian Doescher. Quirk Books, 2014.[author site]  [publisher site]  [book trailer] Review copy and cover image courtesy of the publisher.

My book talk: Return to that “galaxy far, far away” as the fifth Star Wars episode sees our valiant rebel heroes face bitter cold, epic challenges, and stinging betrayal as The Empire Striketh Back, in the style of the Bard himself.

Ian Doescher follows up his successful William Shakespeare’s Star Wars with the heretofore hidden voices of malign creatures (AT-ATs philosophizing in iambic pentameter), songs of the Ughnaughts in the corridors of Bespin, and the wisdom of Yoda shining forth in haiku:

Nay, nay! Try thou not,
But do though or do thou not,
For there is no “try.” (pg.98)

Old secrets, shocking treachery, newly acknowledged love – will the heroes prevail in this stellar fight for the right or will the Empire vile destroy all hope?  Mayhap, gentle readers shall discover all in July 2014’s The Jedi Doth Return!  (One of 6,000 books recommended on www.abookandahug.com)

Z is Zelia in Control, by Lydia Kang (book review) – future genetics, love & power

Apr30

book cover of Control by Lydia Kang published by Dial Books for Young ReadersGenetic differences are illegal,
the United States aren’t united,
welcome to 2150.

Two sisters with non-standard DNA somehow survive in a society where implanted fingertip IDs control access to public transportation and food delivery. The cartel which develops big money products using illegal genes from these non-persons can’t wait to get them following their doctor-dad’s untimely death…

Chilling sci-fi for our last AtoZ April Blog Challenge entry – first in a new series, filled with danger, science that’s almost here now, and romance blossoming amid the chaos.
**kmm

Book info: Control (Control, book 1) / Lydia Kang. Dial Books for Young Readers, hardcover 2013; paperback 2015.  [author site]  [publisher site]  [book trailer] Review copy and cover image courtesy of the publisher.

My book talk: After her father’s death and sister’s kidnapping in 2150, Zelia finds allies – and love – among genetically illegal teens being sought by a sinister syndicate.

Beautiful Dylia and medically fragile Zelia are accustomed to moving often with their doctor dad. But they’re not prepared to be orphaned, separated, and fought over by rival groups who claim they have special genetic traits.

Rescued by her Dad’s friend, Marka takes Zelia home to her other 4 teen adoptees – a girl with photosynthetic skin, a guy with 4 arms, and another with 2 active brains. What Cy’s trait is – besides surly sarcasm – remains to be seen. Why is Zelia, who looks like a child at 17 and needs help to breathe, in the safety of Carus when it’s Dylia who has special traits?

Dylia was kidnapped by Aureus group, which creates products using youth with illegal genetic differences – maybe Zel can sequence Dyl’s DNA in Cy’s lab to discover why and find a way to rescue her.

While trying to understand her dad’s connection to Carus, she’s secretly contacted by Q who promises information about Dylia’s whereabouts…for a price.

Can her new housemates help Zel find Dylia? Will they risk leaving Carus?
Is she willing to trade Cy’s growing fondness for this dangerous opportunity?

This medical sci-fi thriller is first in a series, asking tough questions about identity, differences, and society since our ‘now’ leads to our future. (One of 7,000 books recommended on www.abookandahug.com)

W is Will in Scarlet, by Matthew Cody (book review) – Robin Hood, from the beginning

Apr26

book cover of Will in Scarlet by Matthew Cody published by Knopf Books for Young ReadersSwashbuckling revenge!
Concealed identities!
A legend in the making – Robin Hood!

While King Richard is Crusading, alliances in England twist and flip, forcing young Will from his home, into the arms of thieves in Sherwood Forest, then back to Shackley Castle with revenge burning in him.

This 2013 tale of a young lord forced to live like his vassals will have a new cover in its August 2014 paperback edition, but I prefer the hardback cover art.

What’s your favorite Robin Hood variation?
**kmm

Book info:  Will in Scarlet / Matthew Cody. Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers, 2013.  [author site]  [publisher site]   Review copy and cover image courtesy of the publisher.

My book talk: Seized by evil King John’s men, Will flees into Sherwood Forest where he must gain the Merry Men’s trust before trying to recapture his own home castle.

With King Richard and his Crusaders captured for ransom abroad, Prince John’s grab for England’s throne punishes many loyal subjects. Will’s family is forced from Shackley Castle, but the young lord evades John’s men and meets up with a boy named Much, Little John, Rob the Drunk, and the other Merry Men.

Sneaking into the castle and filching the treasure of the man who took Will’s home at John’s bidding puts them on Sir Guy’s most wanted list and earns the Merry Men the wrath of Tom Crooked’s rival bandit gang.

Rob’s a great tactician when sober, Much is more than he seems, and now Will helps the vassals on Shackley land with silver stolen from Sir Guy.

Soon Sherwood Forest’s many hiding places may not be enough as the Sheriff of Nottingham joins in the hunt for Wolfslayer Will and his companions in this adventure tale of Robin Hood’s early days. (One of 7,000 books recommended on www.abookandahug.com)

V is Violet, trapped Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea, by April Tucholke (book review)

Apr25

book cover of Between the Deviland the Deep Blue Sea by April Genevieve Tucholke published by DialIntoxicating kisses,
Devil seen in the graveyard,
Suicide, blood, and madness –
O, the things that happen after River comes to town!

Such a summer of secrets and frights – River West woos 17-year-old Violet with his gorgeous eyes and tricksy talk, makes awful and outrageous things happen in her sleepy coastal town, smooths over things with her twin Luke as their artist parents stay and stay and stay in Europe.

Read an excerpt from this romance-slash-horror story here. The Speak paperback will be published July 2014, but you shouldn’t wait that long to travel to the old clifftop mansion and discover River’s secret since Between the Spark and the Burn  comes out in August 2014, and you must know the beginning of the tale before you can follow the trail…

**kmm

Book info: Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea / April Genevieve Tucholke. Dial Books, 2013.  [author site]  [publisher site]   Review copy and cover image courtesy of the publisher.

My book talk: Violet and Luke expect another boring summer until River arrives to rent their guesthouse – then the teens experience a thrill ride of attraction, mystery, horror, and evil.

With their artist parents in Europe for months, the 17-year-old twins are cash-poor in the big cliffside house. Renting to River West makes perfect sense, until he lies with his charming smile, convinces Violet to stay near him always, and brings death to their sleepy town.

And then there’s the matter of the Devil seen in the cemetery… River’s brother coming to Echo… more death…

Secrets about Violet’s beloved grandmother and their artistic family’s ties to the townspeople must take a backseat to the horror which River’s arrival has unleashed – what evil will arrive on the next train or the next?

Followed by Between the Spark and the Burn  (August 2014), this Gothic romance/thriller makes the idea of ‘devil boys’ all too believable.

U is unsolved murder in Far From You, by Tess Sharpe (book review) – lies and lost love

Apr24

book cover of Far From You by Tess Sharpe published by Disney HyperionA bullet, so much blood,
one heart stopped, another heart broken,
and someone’s lies leave a killer on the loose.

The agony of losing Mina, her other half/dearest friend, far eclipses Sophie’s pain from the wreck 2 years ago leading to painkiller addiction.

But no one believes Sophie’s clean now, and the police investigation has stalled because the truth isn’t being told. Her own questions about the case start to make the killer nervous – can she find the answers before he decides to make her the next victim?

**kmm

Book info: Far From You /Tess Sharpe. Disney Book Group, 2014. [author site]  [publisher site]   Review copy and cover image courtesy of the publisher through Edelweiss.

My book talk: At 14, death nearly took her body, leaving agonizing pain instead – drugs helped, too much. At 17, death took her beloved best friend and nearly took Sophie’s will to survive – she’s still off drugs, but not off the case – who killed Mina and why?

Everyone thinks Sophie took her along on a drug deal gone wrong, but it was Mina who detoured them to the remote woods where a gunman shot her and left Sophie heartbroken.

Despite testing clean, she’s forced into rehab again when drugs are found in her hoodie soaked with Mina’s blood. Her aunt believes Sophie, but her parents don’t and Mina’s family doesn’t either.

Mina’s internship at the newspaper, an old case of a missing teen girl, family ties that bind so tightly – something doesn’t add up in their small town.

If Sophie is going to have to live without her best friend/best everything, without drugs, and without her parents’ trust, she is not going to live without knowing who killed Mina and why… but the killer wants to make sure that she doesn’t live at all.

Told in alternating chapters dated a year ago and now, this strong debut novel is a mystery, a recovery story, and a love story, from start to finish.

S is William Shakespeare’s Star Wars, by Ian Doescher (book review) – yea, Verily a New Hope!

Apr22

book cover of William Shakespeare's Star Wars Verily a New Hope by Ian Doescher published by Quirk BOoksIn a galaxy far, far away…
In iambic pentameter,
Hark! William Shakespeare’s Star Wars is nigh!

When Ian Doescher’s love of the original Star Wars movie collided with Shakespeare’s plays performed in new arrangements and Quirk Books’ celebrated mashups like Pride and Prejudice and Zombies (a personal fave), he began this trilogy.

As Luke mourns the death of his mentor, Princess Leia observes “His heart breaks for a person, Obi-Wan — My heart breaks for a people, Alderaan…”

If Star Wars is your thing, you’ll definitely enjoy this 400-year throwback with its familiar plot; if Shakespearean style is your preference, you’ll have too much fun reading the famous film in this format.

Thou must view the book trailer – verily, a worthy way to celebrate the Bard’s birthday tomorrow!

**kmm

Book info:  William Shakespeare’s  Star Wars: Verily, a New Hope / Ian Doescher. Inspired by the work of George Lucas and William Shakespeare. Quirk Books, 2013. [author site]  [publisher site]  [book trailer] Review copy and cover image courtesy of the publisher.

My book talk: “Friends, rebels, starfighters, lend me your ears,” declaims Luke Skywalker as the rebellion begins its campaign against the Death Star.

Yes, this is the Star Wars story which started them all, retold in iambic pentameter as W. Shakespeare would have staged it!

The chorus sets the scene on Tatooine or in space, R2-D2’s asides give us insight into the plucky little droid’s character, and Chewbacca says “Auuggh!” as well he ought.

Already knowing the plot and details of this story allows readers unfamiliar with Shakespeare’s poetic play style to experience its rhythms and pacing with ease.

First in Doescher’s well-played series, Verily, a New Hope  is followed by The Empire Striketh Back  (Star Wars Part the Fifth), with the final volume of the trilogy, The Jedi Doth Return, scheduled for July 2014 publication.

As says Obi-Wan’s ghost, “Remember me, O Luke, remember me, And ever shall the Force remain with thee!”  (One of 6,000 books recommended on www.abookandahug.com)

R is Riese: Kingdom Falling, by Greg Cox (book review) – princess undercover, in danger

Apr21

book cover of Riese Kingdom Falling by Greg Cox published by Simon Schuster Books for Young ReadersWarring kingdoms,
A menacing cult,
Calm future shattered for this princess.

Riese doesn’t relish the tedium of running her kingdom some day, but she didn’t wish to become a fugitive with a price on her nearly 16-year-old head either. All because of a kiss?

Whether you’re already a fan of the Syfy.com series (all 10 webisodes free here) or new to the world of Eleysia, this steampunk-slash-fantasy is a journey into adventure you don’t want to miss.

And who wouldn’t want to have a telepathic wolf fighting on their side? Read chapter 1 here free.

**kmm

Book info:  Riese: Kingdom Falling / Greg Cox; concept by Ryan Copple and Kaleena Kiff. Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2012. [author site]  [publisher site]  Review copy and cover image courtesy of the publisher.

My book talk:  On the run, Riese and her wolf try to save her royal family and kingdom from a strange mechanical cult bent on world conquest.

Meeting a young artist while away from the palace in servant guise is thrilling for Riese, who dreads becoming Crown Princess soon and losing her freedom to ride and explore.  His intentions toward her are honorable; toward her kingdom…no.

Intricate clockwork gifts presented to the royal family by the Sect cannot hide the grumbling of kingdoms destabilized by the harsh goddess’s followers, and soon Eleysia’s borders are threatened.

Will the mind-bond between Riese and wolf cub Fenrir endure?
Can Riese convince the Queen that alliance with the Sect is folly?
Will the King allow his warrior-daughter to fight alongside him?

Ancestral tradition battles malign technology in Riese: Kingdom Falling, an action-packed adventure as well as a prequel to the Syfy web video series.

Q is The Wild Queen, by Carolyn Meyer (book review) – Mary Queen of Scots as a young royal

Apr19

book cover of The Wild Queen by Carolyn Meyer published by Houghton Mifflin HarcourtCatholic vs. Protestant,
Cousin vs. cousin,
Room for both in the British Isles?

Step into the glittering royal court of France, the bitterly cold winter of Scotland, and the push-pull relationship between Mary Queen of Scots and her cousin Queen Elizabeth I in this fascinating novel filled with intrigue, plots, and danger.

Which royal person’s story most fascinates you?
**kmm

Book info: The Wild Queen: The Days and Nights of Mary, Queen of Scots (Young Royals series)  / Carolyn Meyer. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2012 (paperback, 2013).  [author site]  [publisher site]  Review copy and cover image courtesy of the publisher.

My book talk: Mary’s daring gamble for the Scottish throne could be her last royal act, but the risk is worth the reward.

Sent to France as a very young girl to be raised in the royal court and become wife of Francis I, Princess Mary is merely a bargaining chip to her ambitious relatives.

When widowed at age 18, Mary vows to rule over her homeland of Scotland as is her right, no matter who stands in the way.

However, she is not the only royal woman in the British Isles to master statecraft and subterfuge; her cousin Elizabeth is prepared to keep Mary’s ambitions from affecting her own reign, at any cost.

Another compelling tale of Young Royals in the acclaimed series by Carolyn Meyer, this Wild Queen‘s days (and nights) are surely numbered.  (One of 6,000 books recommended on www.abookandahug.com)

O is Ophelia in A Wounded Name, by Dot Hutchison (book review) – “Hamlet” in boarding school

Apr17

book cover of A Wounded Name by Dot Hutchison published by Carolrhoda LabSeeing ghosts,
hearing malevolent spirits,
trying to keep steady for Dane,
as his madness spirals down, down…

Newly-dead headmaster Hamlet will not stay in his grave, “the ghost that walks, that challenges, is the fury that murmurs through his son.” (p. 129)

Yes, we know how this story ends, but the journey to disaster is richly retold by Ophelia in this eerie 2013 version of Hamlet.

Find it today at your favorite local library or independent bookstore, and travel to Elsinore Academy, if you dare.

**kmm

Book info: A Wounded Name: A Tragedy / Dot Hutchison. Carolrhoda Lab, 2013.  [author site]  [publisher site]  Review copy and cover image courtesy of the publisher.

My book talk: A mourning son, Hamlet’s rageful ghost, a widow remarried too quickly, the banshee songs tormenting motherless Ophelia – Elsinore Academy’s secrets will soon undo all under its roof.

The sudden death of Elsinore’s headmaster sends his son into deep depression; when the headmaster’s widow marries her brother-in-law hastily, Dane’s rage grows murderous.

Calls to end her worries by drowning, as her mother did, echo from the lake fae – if Ophelia takes the pills which block their siren song, how will she stay awake enough to show Dane the ghost of his father who demands revenge?

This lyrical retelling of Shakespeare’s Hamlet  brings all the tragedy’s characters together in a boarding school where deception and murder seem to be family tradition. (One of 6,000 books recommended on www.abookandahug.com)