"The Hollow Kingdom (The Hollow Kingdom Trilogy #1)" by Claire B. Dunkle

This has an unusual plot choice for a Young Adult book- the plot is what most would consider more adult-themed. But since it's done in a unique way, there's no issue with age appropriateness.

Upon rereading this gem, I discovered my rating on Goodreads had been changed at some point- I remember rating it four stars, and it ended up with three. This book well deserves its four stars, due to its noncompliance with all my major YA hang ups- no instalove (or even instalust), no handsome suitor(s), no blah writing, and no girls completely incapable of fighting for what they want. Instead, this book tells a non superficial love story where a girl chooses to surrender herself to what she views as monsters, in order to find her sister.

The Plot:

Orphaned sisters Kate and Emily arrive at their parents' estate near Hallow Hill to be cared for by their great aunts. One night, they get lost in the woods, stumbling onto a group of Gypsies, who they ask to take them home. Kate is wary of them and refuses to ride on the horse they offer her, so she walks home. It's soon revealed that Marak, the man who escorted her home, isn't human: he claims to be King of the goblins, and intends to kidnap her to be his bride. All his intents come to naught, though, when she arrives at his door asking for his help, promising to be his willing bride if only he releases her sister.

This book reminds me of two different fairy tales- Beauty and the Beast and Rumplestiltskin, both with happen to be my favorites. It transcends both with its storyline, but in some ways it's an homage to folk tales and those who love the idea of goblins and elves in a historical setting.

The characters in this book are what make it truly stand out from the crowd. You have Kate, who is brave enough to face her instinctive fears when she realizes she needs Marak's help, and Marak, who, despite his gruesome appearance, is kinder to Kate than many other people in her life. I have always loathed captive bride stories, but somehow this one didn't end up rubbing me the wrong way, For the author to be able to tell this well, without the need for sexual content (I swear she only mentions them kissing chastely once) and still manage convince us of the depth their relationship is truly remarkable.

The Hollow Kingdom is an unassuming book loaded with a fascinating, and at times expansive story. Not only is it set in the nineteenth century, it's also set in a hidden fantasy world, somehow avoiding the hokeyness of many similarly plotted books. If you're searching for a quickly devourable book that somehow manages the depth of many similar 500+ page volumes, The Hollow Kingdom may be for you.

Rating: 4 of 5 Stars for an excellent historical/fantasy crossover!

Content: Ages 14+ for violence and cruel magic.

Page Count: 230 pages in my paperback edition.

"The Rose and the Beast: Fairy Tales Retold" by Francesca Lia Block

These are fairy tale retellings set in the modern world, written in almost a poetry-like style. I remember reading these as a teen and being weirded out- but somehow I still rated it 3 Stars on Goodreads. As I reread, I was beginning to fear I'd made a terrible mistake in my original rating, because the first few weren't my cup of coffee, but they greatly improved after such a bumbling start.

I'll be individually grading each and put the overall rating at the bottom- it's much easier to review each story by story instead of generalizing them together.

"Snow" (Snow White Retelling)
I really felt this added nothing new to the story of Snow (White)- a few details were different, and the dwarves were renamed and modernized, but it didn't impress me.
Story Rating: 2 Stars

"Tiny" (Thumbelina Retelling)
Umm... the hero of this one was a major pervert, if you ask me. I liked Thumbelina's (or Tiny's, as she's called) character more than in the original fairy tale, but my enjoyment of her was overshadowed by the creepy hero.
Spoiler (Highlight to View): The 'hero' watches Tiny's mother undress through a window, and is perturbed to feel someone watching him- Tiny. Of course, he can't see her and freaks out.
Story Rating: 2 Stars

"Glass" (Cinderella Retelling)
Although the author's poetic style really shows in this one, I have to say I wasn't a fan. Maybe if something more was done with the story I wouldn't be so critical, but there was also the issue with the characters. I didn't even like the portrayal of one of my favorite fairy tale princesses, Cinderella (she actually went unnamed in this one, as far as I can tell).
Story Rating: 2 Stars

"Charm" (Sleeping Beauty Retelling)
This was the first one that I enjoyed rereading, despite being the one with the most difficult content (drugs and sexual abuse). The author manages to put a fresh spin on the story and addresses the difficult issues without it seeming out of place. I think she has powerful imagery, and she made the story her own.
Story Rating: 3.5 Stars

"Wolf" (Little Red Riding Hood Retelling)
Easily the best story in the entire book, due in part to a more relatable style. The characters were also more vivid, taking the spotlight instead of hiding in the shadows. Another darker story with themes of sexual abuse, but done in a tasteful way.
Story Rating: 4.5 Stars

"Rose" (Snow White and Rose Red Retelling)
This is the story that focuses more on issues between sisters or friends without as much happily ever after as the other stories have. Even the most lasting friendships can be damaged by jealousy and realizing that the other might have a better life, and this addresses that issue.
Story Rating: 3.5 Stars

"Bones" (Bluebeard Retelling)
I actually hadn't heard of Bluebeard before, and found out it's a French fairy tale based on a real life story- this is probably one of the more frightening ones due to the original story. This one truly gives you chills- it would almost have been suitable for my Mini Macabre Review Monday feature I had in October. The ending is what makes it so exceptional, which is why I said "Wolf" was the best short story, overall.
Story Rating: 4.5 Stars

"Beast" (Beauty and the Beast Retelling)
This one I really liked, but I've also read so many Beauty and the Beast stories that it didn't bring much new to the table for me, which is reflected in the story rating. Although a lot of the story was too much like the original (and other retellings), I liked what the author did for the ending, almost making it darker.
Story Rating: 3.5 Stars

"Ice" (The Snow Queen Retelling)
I vaguely remember the fairy tale of the Snow Queen, but didn't enjoy this story as much as I presumed I would. Even with the vague outline of the original story in my head, "Ice" wasn't much different, although I did like the style in which it was told.
Story Rating: 3 Stars

Although this collection didn't have the best of starts, the six stories at the end bolstered the rating. I'm sure there are better fairy tale retellings out there, but what made this one different was the setting in the modern world, with modern evils. I recommend this to those looking for a modern take on fairy tales, if you're willing to suffer the huge margins in the paperback edition (see below).

Overall Rating: 3 of 5 Stars for a good collection of short stories that starts out 'meh'.

Content: Ages 16+ for f-bombs, sexual abuse, drug abuse, and violence.

Page Count: 227 pages in my edition, but more like 113 due to huge margins.

"Second Nature" by Alice Hoffman

Alice Hoffman is one of the Society of Authors I'm Obsessed With, and for good reason. Her books are dependably 3 stars or better in my ratings, and I adore her writing style. She also writes mostly Magical Realism, a genre in which the fantastic and the realistic collide to create fresh takes on our world, often to make deeper meaning. Of course, being a story-centric reader, I usually don't catch the nuances of such things, but I try. And with Alice Hoffman's books, even if you are oblivious as me, there is always an intriguing story being told that you can relate to.

The Plot:
Robin Moore is a soon to be divorced from her policeman husband Roy, who cheated on her. Roy is contesting this by having his buddies give her tickets for any miscellaneous infraction. One day, while visiting her brother's work, she comes upon the "Wolf Man" who was found naked, caught in an animal trap in the midst of winter, who also refuses to speak. But upon hearing the news that he is to be transferred to a more controlled psychiatric facility, the Wolf Man does speak, pleading with Robin to take him away. Robin makes a rash decision and decides to take him home, if only for a little while before returning him to the facility. But with her teenage son Connor at home, how long will the Wolf Man remain undiscovered and free?

The story of the Wolf Man reminded me a bit of "George of the Jungle" or "Tarzan", where the baby survives and thrives in the jungle with help from animal friends. Of course, this plot is much more adult than that, and instead of balmy jungle, this tot had to deal with snow, ice, and wolves (oh my), which is why this book is clearly magical realism. I enjoyed the Wolf Man's backstory, but like many of Alice Hoffman's books, this one involves a wide scope of characters and point-of-view, in addition to her story-within-a-story aspects. Not many 184 page books can manage the depth of this one without being boring, and I didn't feel bored while reading this.

I may as well inform you now, this author is not one to write 'happily ever after' endings. Her endings may end with the characters happy, but it isn't the sugary-sweet happy, it's more the "I'm content and I survived this story" sort of ending, where much is realistically resolved, but some is left for the reader's own imagination. I'm one of the few people who enjoys such an ending, but I always secretly wish for 'happily ever after' for the characters after the author's final words.

Second Nature is a book that examines what our true character might be, and also what we're truly capable of. Are we, at heart, the same as animals: willing to kill and maim to get our way? Or are we simply human: fallible and sometimes capable of things we'd rather tout only animals can do? This story manages to ask those questions while engrossing the reader in a tangled yarn of romance, regret, and mystery, earning its place next to all the other Alice Hoffman books on my shelf.

Rating: 3.5 of 5 stars for a realistic tale about our true natures.

Content: Ages 18+ for non-graphic sex and violence, along with some unexpected f-bombs.

Page Count: 184 in my hardcover edition.

"Summoned (Summoned #1)" by Rainy Kaye

This book caught me off guard. I assumed for $0.99, you get what you pay for, which shouldn't be much, especially in the paranormal romance category. I bought it on a whim, and then decided to glance at the first pages. Which led me to glancing at the first few chapters. Which led to me putting aside the books that I've promised to review (which rarely happens), but just until The Summoned had a lull.

There was no lull. I repeat- this book was $0.99, and there was NO "LULL" of any kind, to be found.

See more at Know Your Meme

My face after reading:------->

I'm not one to highly rate romance, especially paranormal, which is generally full of over-hyped books. But this one was exceptional. At times, it felt more urban fantasy than paranormal romance. I found myself snickering at the protagonist's vivid humor, and enjoying the misadventures of a hit-man/genie.

The Plot:
Dimitri Hayes is a genie. Unfortunately, his master, Karl Walker, doesn't just get three wishes, he has infinite ones. In addition to that misfortune, Dimitri doesn't get any magic powers, other than an incessant hum in his head that worsens every minute he doesn't complete a wish, and the ability to immediately appear in the summoning chamber whenever his master wants something else from him. This happens quite frequently. It wouldn't be too bad, but his master could be called "evil", so a regular wish involves either kidnapping or killing someone. This also leaves Dimitri with either too much or too little time on his hands, with no way to regulate a social life, since there are no vacations for genies. So he becomes a one-night-stand practitioner, at least until he meets Syd, the girl of his dreams. But the question remains, will he ever be free?

I adored the this book, and thought it would definitely top four stars, for its action-packed and witty plot. And then I reached the sex scenes. I didn't mind them, at first, because they were steamy. But there comes a point where I'm secretly wishing they would just stop already, or the author would cut the scene, because I'd rather read about Dimitri going around like a mafia man than hear about the Syd's scanty and sensual clothes (or should I say lingerie?). I understand it- they're practically rabbits in springtime, they don't believe in commitment, so on, and so forth. But really must we, the reader, hear every detail of their sex lives?

This book is still exceptional, despite a few typos and gratuitous sex. I've never put much thought into the genie myth, or the consequences that might befall a genie in the modern world, as the author so artfully laid out. For me to never reach a "lull" in the plot speaks strongly of the writer's ability to maintain tension, and a sense of action, even in mundane moments where Dimitri is going about his daily tasks. It is rare to find a book I don't want to put down, but this one was glued to my hands, despite distractions.

Rating: 3.5 of 5 stars, for an unexpected urban genie yarn that never bores the reader!

Content: Paranormal Romance featuring sex, kidnapping, and murder. Ages 18+.

Page Count: 237 pages of action-packed goodness.

"Dragon's Bait" by Vivian Vande Velde

But Litha, it's almost a children's book! you bemoan.
Yes, but it feels more like Young Adult, practically Adult, I reply, wiping my stinging eyes from the strain of looking at a computer for the past four days. My brain needs a rest. I'll get back to writing about Adult things later. Besides, people seem to like YA more than Adult books anyhow. My book blogging prowess will be proved if I manage to write all the reviews I've promised for every day this week. Just let me critique more books about dragons. They're the only ones I truly enjoy.
Fine, you respond. But when will we get more critiques on classics?
I gaze unseeingly into the distance as my mind struggles to compute the word "classic".

*End Scene*

And that is why I am reduced to critiquing a children's book that is thinner than my little finger. I admit, my powers of writing book critiques may be challenged as this week endures, but a promise is a promise, regardless of my constant procrastination.

Proof it is thinner than my pinkie.

Dragon's Bait was a book I picked up at a thrift shop when I was a tween, but didn't read it in its entirety until I was thirteen. While it is pretty generic in theme, I feel like it is a classic, as it stands the test of time. It was written the year I took my first breath, 1992, but I could see the tweens today still easily enjoying it. It doesn't read like an "early nineties" book, it feels timeless.

The Plot:
Fifteen year old Alys is accused of witchcraft by her neighbors, after her father refused to sell his land to them. An Inquisitor is brought in to question her, and prove or disprove if she is, in fact, a witch. Everyone who disputes that she is not a witch is relatively ignored or jeered at. Witnesses claim she made a boy drop his hammer with her witch powers. It is decided they will stake her out on a remote hillside where a dragon is said to roam, effectively turning her into... Dragon's Bait.

This plot bears similarity to many stories, but foremost in my mind as I briefly re-skimmed it was the obvious resemblance to the Salem Witch Trials. The Inquisitor is a man of God, and clearly has no problem with encouraging the villagers to turn against Alys. The neighbors had a clear motive to want Alys gone, as her father is sickly, and barely scrapes by financially with her help, and without her, he would be forced to sell his land. The neighbors fabricate testimony so Alys will be charged, when they themselves are in the wrong.

When you finish the book, you are left wanting more. It is inevitable that any good book with a scant 131 pages will make you desire to see more of Alys and the dragon. But the author's gift to you is this: you get to imagine what happens after the ending, and so the book's ending is only limited by your imagination.

Rating: An easy 4 out of 5 stars, for a tiny book that is still relevant 22 years later.

Content: This is for grade levels 6+, or roughly 12 years and up.

Page Count: Tiny but powerful at 131 pages.

"Cyrano de Bergerac" By Edmond Rostand

Ah, the memories of days long past. Days when I actually sat at a desk, pining for a lunch break, or better: summer. I read Cyrano when I was in eighth grade, roughly seven years ago, but the book is still fresh in my mind. Convenient, as I don't have a hard copy, just my memories of it, which were quite vivid that particular year.

First of all, it is written in the form of a play, but don't let that deter you. This is classic literature, practically Shakespearian, just waiting for you to devour. Playwrights like Rostand and Shakespeare were the James Pattersons of their day, or better yet, the Woody Allens. They wrote for the masses, and their works were enacted on the stage, immersing the audience in their worlds.

At the time, I didn't realize Cyrano was actually a real person. Maybe my teacher covered that during my gratuitous sick days, but I was none the wiser. The similarities between the real Cyrano and his fictional counterpart include that they were both duelists, had a way with words, and were military men. The real Cyrano had a cousin who married Baron Christian of Neuvillette, his colleague, though the story between the two in the play is entirely fiction.

The Plot:
Cyrano, a French nobleman fighter, has a gilt tongue, a rather bulbous nose, and fears he is ugly and will never win the heart of his cousin Roxanne. His handsome comrade Christian isn't as gifted with words. Christian is also pining for the lovely Roxanne, and so Cyrano and he conspire. Christian will use Cyrano's words to woo her. This evolves into a series of rather humorous escapades, though seasoned with gravity of Cyrano's plight. There are darker plots afoot, but that is the main gist of the storyline.

A main theme in this book is the want for "a good death". To describe it to you, I'll pose you a similar query to one in the book: Would you rather die with sword in hand or drunk in a pool of your own vomit? That is the basic principle, and it drives one of the characters, though I can't tell you who.

I had never thought of such things when I was a 14 year old girl, but it remains a question I always ask myself at funerals. It is a macabre thing to think of, yet in some situations it brings comfort. I think most people in the world wishes for a painless death, and when I remember those people in my past who have been granted that boon, I often think of it as "a good death".

Cyrano de Bergerac is one of those rare books which make you think about topics like "a good death" despite it never occurring to you that there is such a thing. It is humor tempered with tragedy, honor entwined disgrace, and physical beauty contrasting with inner beauty. We often think we judge people on what is inside them, but sometimes you have to wonder about what our current "culture" says about us, as well as what Cyrano says about what people were like in Rostand's time.

Rating: 4.5 of 5 stars for profound meaning!

Content: I read this at a private Catholic school. There is very little to object to, save few scenes of    violence. Best read when 13+ years of age for comprehension.

Page Count: 240 pages

"Entreat Me" By Grace Draven

From the author of Master of Crows, you have to expect quite a lot, and rather unfairly to Grace Draven, I did expect the moon. Quite fortuitously, she delivered a shining star.
Entreat Me is her second novel, a play on Beauty and the Beast, which, like many fairytales, has been a beaten dead horse for a long time now. I was surprised that she chose such a well worn subject for a novel, but she manages to breathe new life into the story, by having our hero suggest to the heroine upon their first true meeting to bed him for her keep. Unlike many a girl, Louvaen thinks about it. Mind you, this is coming from a man with gruesome blackened claws for hands, a broken nose and two black eyes by her doing, and sinister creeping vines still writhing on his skin.
Thank God for Grace Draven, this is romance for the rest of us. Aren't you ever weary of perfect women running about with perfect men chasing them to their beds? This novel does contain two such people, but lucky for us, it doesn't fixate upon them.
This book centers more on romance than her previous book, but it didn't overwhelm the plot, which centers around the curse of the beasts, not one but two: father and son bound by words spoken by said son's mother, Isabeau. No woman born would love Ballard, and all of Isabeau's bitterness, rage, and hatred was bequeathed upon her son Gavin de Lovet who would destroy his father, and no woman would love him either. The curse transforms Ballard into a beast so ravenous he must be put in a dungeon whenever it chooses to show itself, while Gavin simply takes ill.
The widow Louvaen arrives at Ketach Tor, home of the beasts, in pursuit of her half sister Cinnia, who took off with her beau Gavin de Lovet after finding her father Mercer had sunk into debt with Jimenin, who would forgive the debt if he could have Cinnia's hand in marriage. A deal is struck between Gavin and Louvaen: Gavin has the winter to court Cinnia in exchange for gold to pay off the debt to Jimenin. Louvaen returns with the money to pay the debt, but comes back to chaperone virginal Cinnia, where she meets Gavin's father Ballard de Sauveterre, who she first met in the castle dungeon by acquainting her foot to his nose after he grabbed her in his beastly agony. The plot continues from there.
I really liked this book, but I loved Master of Crows more. However, compared with many other traditionally published romance novels, Entreat Me is a gem worth buying, and it will cost you less than many a Starbucks' beverage.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars for an excellent take on Beauty and the Beast!

Content: 18+ for sexual content.

Page Count: 360 pages